UFC 135 Fight Card Update: Gamburyan vs. Nunes and Escovedo vs. Mizugaki Added

Manny Gamburyan

Two more bouts have been added to the UFC 135 fight card in Denver.

UFC officials on Friday announced that Diego Nunes will fight Manny Gamburyan in a featherweight tilt, while Cole Escovedo and Takeya Mizugaki face off at bantamweight.

Gamburyan (11-6) could be fighting for his spot in the Octagon, entering the fight with Nunes coming off of back-to-back losses. The No. 8 ranked featherweight started off strong before running into Jose Aldo and Tyson Griffin, reeling off three consecutive victories upon dropping from 155 down to 145 pounds.

He’ll now attempt to redeem himself against Nunes (16-2), who is coming off of a loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 131. Ranked No. 9 in the world, Nunes had been on a three-fight streak before Florian’s featherweight debut put him on the wrong end of a unanimous decision.

King of the triangle choke, Escovedo (17-7) made his Octagon debut at UFC 130 in May. While he fought well, Renan Barão earned the judges’ unanimous nod. Escovedo is a former WEC champion, but needs a strong showing against Mizugaki to maintain his spot on the roster.

Mizugaki (14-6-2) was impressive in his Zuffa debut at WEC 40, taking then bantamweight champion Miguel Torres all five rounds. He has alternated between wins and losses, going 3-4 during his WEC and UFC tenure. Coming off of a loss to former champion Brian Bowles, Mizugaki’s career could be on a short leash if he doesn’t get back on the winning track.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones faces Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the main event of the promotion’s return to the Mile High City on Sept. 24 at the Pepsi Center.

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