UFC 128 Official for March 19; Benavidez-Loveland Announced
The UFC today confirmed five bouts for UFC 128, which will go down March 19 at the Prudential Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
In a press release, the promotion announced four bouts previously reported by Sherdog.com, as well as a newly-revealed bantamweight contest pitting former WEC title challenger Joseph Benavidez against Team Quest product Ian Loveland.
Benavidez was a standout in the WEC 135-pound division, compiling a record of 5-2 during his two years with the organization. His only two career losses have come at the hands of current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who bested Benavidez by decision at both WEC 42 and WEC 50. Benavidez holds eight of his 13 career victories by submission and has never been finished. The Team Alpha Male representative will make his UFC debut against Loveland.
A winner of his last seven fights, Loveland was successful in his UFC debut at “The Ultimate Fighter 12” finale. Stepping in as a late replacement for Leonard Garcia, Loveland defeated Tyler Toner by unanimous decision on Dec. 4. The “Barn Owl” has notched finishes in 12 of his 14 career wins and has only been knocked out once as a professional.
As expected, UFC 128 will be headlined by a light heavyweight title clash between champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and former title-holder Rashad Evans. The co-main event features a clash of former WEC champions Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland. Also greenlit for the event are two lightweight scraps matching Kurt Pellegrino against Gleison Tibau and Anthony Njokuani against Edson Barboza.
