Three bouts are now official for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut on the FX network next year. UFC on FX 1 will be headlined by a lightweight battle between contenders Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard and Jim Miller. The event is rumoured for January 20, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Also confirmed for the card is a lightweight matchup between heavy hitters Duane “Bang” Ludwig and Josh “The Dentist” Neer and a heavyweight clash pitting Pat “HD” Barry against Christian Morecraft. Guillard and Miller are scheduled for only three rounds in the night’s main event, rather than five.

Guillard (52-10-3, 1 NC) and Miller (20-3-0) both had hopes of title shots dashed in their most recent fights. Miller was soundly beaten by upcoming title challenger Ben “Smooth” Henderson in August, while Guillard was upset by Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon in just 47 seconds at UFC 136. With both now looking to rebound from the setbacks and get back into title contention, the FX headliner will be a pivotal one.

Prior to the loss to Lauzon, Guillard had won eight of nine fights. Miller had won seven straight and 15 of 16 overall before he ran into Henderson. Guillard’s power remains among the very best in the lightweight division, while Miller brings a strong submission skillset and has secured 11 wins by tapout. Though recent non-title UFC main events have been contested over five rounds, the bout between Guillard and Miller is scheduled for only three.

Ludwig (21-11-0) and Neer (32-10-1) both enter their lightweight matchup with momentum after victories inside the Octagon. Ludwig returned to the promotion in 2010, but suffered losses in his first two fights back. He has rebounded with two big wins since then and most recently dominated Amir Sadollah en route to a commanding Unanimous Decision win in August. Neer re-entered the UFC last month on a four-fight winning streak and stopped fellow veteran Keith Wisniewski. Both fighters prefer to stand and trade, but Neer’s underrated ground game has yielded 11 submission wins.

Barry (6-4-0) and Morecraft (7-2-0) are in desperate need of big victories in order to retain a spot among the UFC’s ranks. Barry has dropped back-to-back fights and three of his last four, while Morecraft has managed just one win in three Octagon appearances. Barry will hold a decided advantage in striking technique and power in the fight, but as is often the case, he will give up a significant height advantage to the 6’6″ Morecraft. Barry has gone the distance one time in his career. Morecraft has never seen the judges’ scorecards as a professional.

UFC on FX 1 is rumoured to be taking place on January 20, 2012 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. An exact date and location have not yet been officially announced.

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)