The UFC’s first event in Pittsburgh finally has a main event. It will feature the debut of a former middleweight title contender at welterweight.
Nate Marquardt has agreed to meet Anthony Johnson in the headline fight for the upcoming UFC on Versus 4 card set to go down on June 26 at the Consol Energy Center.
The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the match-up on Wednesday, with verbal agreements in place for the June bout. The UFC later confirmed the bout, as well.
Marquardt (31-10-2) recently discussed the possibility of moving down to welterweight, and now the decision appears to have been made. A former title contender at 185 pounds, Marquardt has gone 2-2 in his last four fights. He will now face a new challenge in the welterweight division.
While he’s cutting to 170 pounds, his first opponent may make him feel like he’s still fighting at middleweight.
Anthony Johnson (9-3) steps back into action after a successful return in March, where he dominated former title contender Dan Hardy. Johnson had been out of action for over a year dealing with knee injuries, but now gets a chance to face one of the UFC’s best in a featured bout on the UFC on Versus 4 card.
The UFC on Versus 4 show takes place at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on June 26.