Matt Brown vs. Tarec Saffiedine targeted for December UFC event

Matt Brown (18-11 MMA, 11-5 UFC) appears he’ll get his wish to fight a notable welterweight.

The surging 170-pound contender has been targeted for a December matchup with former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine (14-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), UFC President Dana White confirmed with FOXSports.com.

White said the booking is dependent on Saffiedine’s health, so an exact date hasn’t been nailed down. However, the UFC has events planned for Dec. 14 (UFC on FOX 9), Dec. 21 (a UFC Fight Night event in Australia) and Dec. 28 (the year-end UFC 168).

Brown currently is ranked No. 10 and Saffiedine is No. 15 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA welterweight rankings.

Brown had campaigned for a top 10 opponent after his latest win. In the UFC’s official rankings, Brown and Saffiedine are ranked No. 10 and No. 8, respectively.

Once a mere .500 fighter, Brown has resurrected his career while fighting in the world’s most prominent MMA organization. “The Ultimate Fighter 7? cast member recently dismantled Mike Pyle in 29 seconds at UFC Fight Night 26 and picked up a “Knockout the Night” award. It marked the Ohio-based fighter’s sixth consecutive victory, five of which came via knockout.

Saffiedine, meanwhile, makes his promotion debut after a 6-1 run in Strikeforce, where he defeated Nate Marquardt to win the welterweight title before the organization closed shop. He’s currently riding a four-fight winning streak. However, a planned UFC on FOX 8 bout with Robbie Lawler earlier this year was scrapped when the Belgian fighter suffered an undisclosed injury.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Matt Brown)