Winner, Njokuani Slated for UFC 132 Bout

Sherdog.com confirmed the matchup with a source close to the bout following an initial report from MMAWeekly.com on Thursday.

Headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between champion Dominick Cruz and the only man to ever beat him, Urijah Faber, UFC 132 will take place on July 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Also scheduled for the event is a light heavyweight confrontation pitting former titleholder Tito Ortiz against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner Ryan Bader.

Winner comes off back-to-back defeats heading into his showdown with Njokuani. The Team Rough House representative got his start with the UFC in 2009, advancing to the final of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 before losing to countryman Ross Pearson at the season finale. The Brit rebounded from the defeat, however, rattling off consecutive victories over Roli Delgado and Rafaello Oliveira before losing to smothering wrestler Nik Lentz and hard-hitting German kickboxer Dennis Siver in August and November, respectively.

A seven-time WEC veteran, Njokuani is known for his superior kickboxing skills. After winning three straight bouts in 2009, the Nigerian-born lightweight has lost three of his last four, including his Octagon debut at UFC 128 last month. Though he won “Fight of the Night” honors for his back-and-forth slugfest with Brazilian contemporary Edson Mendes Barboza Jr., Njokuani came up short on the judges’ scorecards, dropping a unanimous decision. A three-time “Knockout of the Night” winner in the WEC, the 31-year-old holds eight of his 13 career victories by KO.