UFC Matches Johny Hendricks vs. Neil Magny | MMAWeekly.com

Johny Hendricks and Neil Magny will square off at year’s end, each trying to state his case for remaining in the thick of the hunt for the UFC welterweight championship.

UFC officials announced the bout on Tuesday.

Having once held the welterweight title, Hendricks (17-5) is hoping to put his struggles with the scale behind him and focus simply on his skills in the Octagon. He has battled to make weight on several occasions. He generally makes it, but missed weight by a quarter of a pound for his last fight at UFC 200, and had a fight with Tyron Woodley canceled when he suffered from a kidney stone during his weight cut.

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Coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, Hendricks hopefully has his weight under control, so he can focus on getting back on track in the Octagon.

Magny (18-5) has come about as close as a fighter can get to a title shot without actually getting one. He had a seven-fight winning streak halted by Demian Maia late in 2015. Magny rebounded with three consecutive victories over Erick Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, and Hector Lombard, but was derailed by Lorenz Larkin in his most recent fight.

Magny hopes to course correct when he faces the former champ.

UFC 207 features Ronda Rousey’s return, as she will challenge bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes on Friday, Dec. 30, in Las Vegas. It will be Rousey’s first fight since she lost the belt to Holly Holm in late 2015.

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