A heavyweight bout has been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Fight Night event in Houston next month. Anthony Hamilton (15-6) vs. Marcel Fortuna (8-1) was recently announced by the promotion.
The last time Hamilton stepped inside the Octagon, he battled rising heavyweight Francis Ngannou. The “Freight Train” was submitted with a kimura in under two minutes. He will look to rebound in Houston to avoid his second straight loss.
Fortuna was a member of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 23. He fell short to Corey Hendricks on the show. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will get his chance to redeem himself.
Currently riding a five-fight winning streak, Fortuna hasn’t lost a professional bout since 2012. That defeat was at the hands of seasoned veteran Jesse Taylor.
Hamilton’s run in the UFC has been up and down. He has competed for the promotion seven times and has gone 3-4 inside the Octagon. Another loss could mean trouble for his UFC stint.
The UFC returns to Houston on Feb. 4, Super Bowl weekend. Headlining the event will be a featherweight scrap. Chan Sung Jung returns to action to face Dennis Bermudez. “The Korean Zombie” is back from mandatory military service in South Korea. He has not competed since August 2013.
UFC Houston’s co-main event will see rising strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso go toe-to-toe with Felice Herrig. Former interim light heavyweight title challenger Ovince Saint Preux meets Volkan Oezdemir at the event.
Another bout confirmed for the card is a lightweight tilt. The two participants will be James Vick and Abel Trujillo. There are two more strawweight fights on the card.
No. 5 ranked Jessica Andrade will face Invicta FC strawweight champion Angela Hill. The other 115-pound battle on tap will feature Tecia Torres and Bec Rawlings. Next month’s UFC Fight Night event will be held inside the Toyota Center.
