UFC Fight Rumors 2016: Ben Rothwell vs Junior dos Santos to Headline Fight Night 86
The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced on Monday the most important bout for the promotion's Fight Night 86 event to be held for the first time in Croatia. This bout, which is slated to be the card's main event, will feature two heavyweight contenders in Ben Rothwell and Junior dos Santos.
Rothwell (36-9) is slowly making his way on top of the division by winning all four of his previous fights. In his last six, he compiled a record of 5-1 — the only loss came from Gabriel Gonzaga during the UFC on FX 7. The 34-year-old knocked out Brendan Schaub during UFC 145 before losing to Gonzaga. Since then, he hasn't lost a fight, winning over Brandon Vera, Alistair Overeem, and Matt Mitrione, all of which did not go the distance. His most recent win was against Josh Barnett during UFC on FOX 18, stopping him in the second round through a "gogo" choke.
On the other hand, dos Santos carries an impressive UFC record of 17-4 and is looking to rebound and redeem himself after losing to Alistair Overeem at UFC on FOX 17. He's been pretty inconsistent, too, having won only three of his last six fights. But credit to him, he hasn't faced any patsy in that course of six fights, winning over the likes of Frank Mir (UFC 146), Mark Hunt (UFC 160), and Stipe Miocic (UFC on FOX 13). His three losses in that span include two against Cain Velasquez (UFC 155 and UFC 166) and to Overeem.
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Both fighters are ranked in the top 10 of the UFC heavyweight division, suggesting that both of them are more than eligible to be fighting each other to climb up the ranks. Obviously, the main target of both men is to get another shot at the heavyweight title.
UFC Fight Night 86 will be held for the first time in Zagreb, Croatia on April 10.
