Spike TV to Air Lauzon-Etim, Rivera-Sakara at UFC 118

Joe Lauzon (top) file photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

A lightweight match pairing Joe Lauzon with Terry Etim and a middleweight duel pitting Jorge Rivera against Alessio Sakara will be featured during a one-hour Spike TV telecast leading into UFC 118 “Edgar vs. Penn 2” on Aug. 28 at the TD Garden in Boston.

Lauzon last fought at UFC 108 in January, when he lost a unanimous decision to Sam Stout in his first appearance since reconstructive knee surgery. The 26-year-old East Bridgewater, Mass., native has won eight of his past 10 bouts and owns notable victories against former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown and one-time UFC lightweight titleholder Jens Pulver. A semifinalist on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Lauzon has secured 14 of his 18 career wins by submission.

A Team Kaobon representative, Etim finds himself on the rebound following his first-round submission loss to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 112 in April. The defeat snapped a four-fight winning streak for the 24-year-old former Cage Gladiators lightweight champion. Based in Liverpool, England, Etim has delivered 11 of his 14 victories by submission.

The middleweight matchup between Rivera and Sakara promises fireworks, as neither man features a particularly potent ground game.

Rivera will carry a three-fight winning streak into the bout. The 38-year-old Milford, Mass., native stopped Nate Quarry on second-round punches at UFC Fight Night 21 in March and owns other notable victories against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Kendall Grove, former UFC middleweight title contender David Loiseau and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 4 winner Travis Lutter. Rivera -- who has competed against some of the world’s most accomplished middleweights, including Anderson Silva and Rich Franklin -- has scored 12 of his 18 career victories by knockout or technical knockout.

Anchored at American Top Team, Sakara has rattled off three consecutive wins since his TKO defeat to Chris Leben at UFC 82. The 28-year-old Italian needed just 2:01 to dispatch James Irvin at UFC on Versus 1 in March. Only one of Sakara’s last nine fights has gone the distance.