UFC officials recently announced four new additions to September’s UFC Fight Night 51 event in Brazil.
The additions include lightweights Lukasz Sajewski (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Leonardo Santos (12-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), welterweights Sergio Moraes (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (18-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), welterweights Mike Rhodes (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) vs. Paulo Thiago (15-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC), and welterweights Igor Araujo (25-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. George Sullivan (15-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
UFC Fight Night 51, which features a headlining rematch between heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Silva, takes place Sept. 13 at Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil. The entire event streams on UFC Fight Pass.
Sajewski, a 23-year-old UFC newcomer from Poland, is a six-year pro who’s posted nine stoppages (seven submissions) in 13 career wins. He takes on Santos, a 34-year-old who won “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2? as a welterweight. After six straight wins, he recently fought lightweight Normal Parke to a majority draw at UFC Fight Night 38.
Moraes, a semifinalist on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” looks his first third straight UFC win following back-to-back submission victories over Renee Forte and Neil Magny. The 31-year-old Brazilian now meets Ponzinibbio, a 27-year-old Argentinian and “TUF: Brazil 2? semifinalist who recently made his UFC debut and suffered a decision loss to Ryan LaFlare, which snapped a seven-fight winning streak.
Rhodes, meanwhile, was a highly touted addition to the UFC’s welterweight division earlier this year, but the RFA vet has suffered back-to-back losses to Sullivan and Robert Whittaker. The 24-year-old’s job will be on the line against veteran 170-pounder Thiago, a 33-year-old Brazilian who’s lost two straight and four of his past five, all in the UFC.
Finally, the 33-year-old Araujo carries a six-fight winning streak, which includes UFC victories over Ildemar Alcantara and Danny Mitchell, into his matchup with 33-year-old Sullivan, who recently made a successful UFC debut and scored a decision victory over Rhodes for his seventh consecutive win.
The latest UFC Fight Night 51 card now includes:
For more on UFC Fight Night 51, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Paulo Thiago)
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