Five new fights have been added to the UFC 146: “Dos Santos vs Overeem” card on May 26th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy takes on striker Duane “Bang” Ludwig in a pivotal welterweight clash. Both fighters look to rebound from losses.
Also announced for the card on Wednesday night was a heavyweight bout between unbeaten Strikeforce import Shane del Rosario and one-time UFC title contender Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga. Light heavyweight Glover Teixeira makes his long-awaited Octagon debut against Kyle “Kingsbu” Kingsbury.
Hardy (23-10-0, 1 NC) began his UFC career with four straight victories, but after an unsuccessful bid for the UFC Welterweight Championship in 2010, the British standout has suffered three consecutive losses since. His fan-friendly style has earned him a reprieve from the UFC’s cut list for the time being, but a fifth straight loss to Muay Thai practitioner Ludwig (21-12-0) could spell the end of Hardy’s UFC career. Ludwig returned to the Octagon in 2010. While he suffered defeats in his first two fights back, he rebounded with a pair of victories including a one-sided decision win over Amir Sadollah in August. He is coming off of a loss to fellow veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer this past month and needs a big win.
Del Rosario (11-0-0) brings an undefeated record into his UFC debut after tenures in both EliteXC and Strikeforce. The Californian has finished all 11 of his opponents to date and he has only been out of the first round once. However, ring rust could play a factor, as del Rosario has been out of action for a year due to injuries suffered in a car accident involving a drunk driver. He now faces Gonzaga (13-6-0), who returned to the UFC with a quick and impressive submission victory at UFC 142 in January. Gonzaga once challenged for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but he was cut from the promotion after back-to-back losses in 2010. The jiu-jitsu specialist looks to spoil del Rosario’s UFC debut by picking up his third straight win.
Teixeira (17-2-0) has endured visa issues that delayed his UFC debut, but the former WEC standout has kept busy in recent bouts in his native Brazil. Teixeira has won 15 straight fights, with only one bout going the distance, and holds notable wins over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Antonio Mendes, Marvin Eastman and Ricco Rodriguez. In Kingsbury (11-3-0, 1 NC), Teixeira faces a solid test for his UFC debut. Kingsbury rebounded from a setback in his first UFC bout after a stint on TUF 8, but suffered a lopsided decision defeat to Stephan Bonnar at UFC 139. The American Kickboxing Academy prospect could earn his biggest victory to date if he is able to defeat Teixeira, but a loss would be a significant setback for Kingsbury.
Rounding out the additions to the card is a lightweight bout between Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann (14-2-0) and unbeaten submission specialist Paul “Sassangle” Sass (12-0-0). Featherweight TUF 14 winner Diego “Ceara” Brandao (14-7-0) takes on well-rounded prospect Darren “The Damage” Elkins (13-2-0). All four fighters are coming off of victories in their most recent fights.
UFC 146: “Dos Santos vs Overeem” takes place on May 26th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Junior “Cigano” dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)