A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who trains under Renzo Gracie, Natal has delivered more than half (seven) of his 12 career victories by submission. The 27-year-old Brazilian made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, losing a unanimous decision to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 qualifier Rich Attonito at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Wins over American Top Team’s Danillo Villefort and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 4 winner Travis Lutter anchor Natal’s resume.
Bongfeldt will carry a seven-fight winning streak into the match. He replaces Jason MacDonald, who withdrew from the event with an undisclosed injury. Bongfeldt has delivered all 21 of his victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission and has gone the distance only once in 28 professional appearances. The Canadian last competed in September 2009, when he needed just 37 seconds to submit Nolan Clark with a rear-naked choke under the Rumble in the Cage banner.
A welterweight title bout between champion Georges St. Pierre and American Kickboxing Academy ace Josh Koscheck will headline UFC 124, along with a heavyweight duel pitting the 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve against unbeaten Sean McCorkle. The show will also feature a welterweight tilt pairing American Top Team’s Thiago Alves with John Howard and a pivotal lightweight affair between AMA Fight Club standout Jim Miller and surging Brazilian prospect Charles Oliveira.
UFC 124 “St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2”
Saturday, Dec. 11
Bell Centre
Montreal
UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges
St. Pierre vs. Josh
Koscheck
Stefan
Struve vs. Sean
McCorkle
Jim
Miller vs. Charles
Oliveira
Joe
Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig
Thiago
Alves vs. John
Howard
Dustin
Hazelett vs. Mark Bocek
Jesse
Bongfeldt vs. Rafael
Natal
John
Makdessi vs. Pat
Audinwood
Ricardo
Almeida vs. T.J.
Grant
* Dan
Miller vs. Joe
Doerksen
* Matt
Riddle vs. Sean
Pierson
* Not Official
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