The UFC will be invading the state of Virginia for the first time on January 11th, featuring a headline matchup of Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz.
The UFC announced the news today, pitting the lightweight contenders against each other in a rematch of their fight on The Ultimate Fighter season five.
“The lightweight division is one of the most talent-rich in the UFC, and this card is a prime example of that,” said UFC President Dana White. “Maynard and Diaz are two top contenders with a history between them, and this is one of those fights that could be career-changing for the winner.”
Diaz, who went on to win TUF, defeated Maynard in the semifinals of season five, winning by guillotine choke in the second round. More recently, Diaz defeated Melvin Guillard by submission in September, after consecutive losses at the hands of Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson.
Maynard has yet to face defeat in his career at 9-0 (with 1 no-contest). He defeated Roger Huerta at UFC Fight Night in September, his sixth consecutive victory in the Octagon.
Also scheduled for the event is another lightweight bout between TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero and Oregon-native Evan Dunham. Both Escudero (13-0) and Dunham (9-0) are undefeated in their mixed martial arts careers and 2-0 in the UFC.
Escudero recently defeated Cole Miller at UFC 103, winning by TKO in the first round. Dunham last competed at UFC 102, coming away with a split decision victory over Marcus Aurelio.
UFC Fight Night will take place at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia on January 11, 2010. Tickets for the event go on sale Saturday, November 21 at 10am EST. Tickets are available at the Patriot Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets
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