Featherweights Chad Mendes vs. Nik Lentz slotted for UFC on FOX 9

Two top featherweight contenders have been targeted for a matchup at December’s UFC on FOX 9 event.

Former title challenger Chad Mendes (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and surging contender Nik Lentz (24-5-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) will meet at the event. UFC officials confirmed the bout after an initial report from Bleacher Report.

UFC on FOX 9 takes place Dec. 14 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The main card, including a recently announced headliner between lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and Josh Thomson, airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and Facebook.

Mendes vs. Lentz will be part of the main card.

Mendes is currently ranked No. 2 and Lentz is No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA featherweight rankings.

If victorious, this could be Mendes’ final bout before a second shot at the title. Since a loss to reigning champion Jose Aldo in 2012, the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler has posted four consecutive knockout wins, the most recent coming against Darren Elkins and Clay Guida. The Aldo defeat, which came via first-round TKO (after a questionable cage-grab), remains the only loss of his career.

Lentz, who was scheduled to fight Dennis Bermudez at UFC Fight Night 31, instead will get a fight with much bigger stakes. Since a move down to featherweight, the former NCAA Division I wrestler is undefeated with wins over Eiji Mitsuoka, Diego Nunes and Hacran Dias. A victory over Mendes would be his highest-profile to date.

For more on UFC on FOX 9, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Chad Mendes)