Johnny Bedford Meets Nick Denis in Bantamweight Showdown at UFC on Fox 3

Johnny Bedford will square off with Nick Denis on May 5. | Photo: Sherdog.com

Headlined by a pivotal five-round lightweight contest pitting Jim Miller against Nate Diaz, UFC on Fox 3 takes place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Also featuring an important welterweight pairing between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck, the evening’s main draw will air live on Fox’s flagship network, while the undercard is expected to be broadcast on Fuel TV. Bout order has not yet been announced.

Bedford, 29, fought his way to the semifinals of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 before he was knocked out by Jackson’s MMA product John Dodson. “Brutal” rebounded from the exhibition loss, however, earning a dominant victory over fellow cast mate Louis Gaudinot at the live season finale on Dec. 3. The wiry bantamweight was expected to make his sophomore Octagon effort at January’s UFC on Fox 2, but a series of opponent withdrawals prevented Bedford from competing.

Denis also looked spectacular in his UFC debut, earning “Knockout of the Night” honors over Joseph Sandoval in just 22 seconds at UFC on FX 1. The Canadian wasted no time in taking care of business, securing a single-collar tie and leveling Sandoval with a series of short elbows to the temple. The victory marked Denis’ second noteworthy knockout in as many fights, as “The Ninja of Love” caught attention last year for his highlight-reel slam finish of Nick Mamalis in October.