When the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Brazil on March 11, it’ll be a Fight Night card headlined by Kelvin Gastelum and Vitor Belfort. MMAFighting.com has learned that a lightweight tilt has been added to the event.
Former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) title challenger Josh Burkman (28-14, 1 NC) will step inside the Octagon for the 17th time in his professional career to meet Michel Prazeres (21-2). Since returning to the UFC in Jan. 2015, “The People’s Warrior” has gone 1-4, 1 NC. Meanwhile, “Trator” is on a three-fight winning streak.
Prazares’ lone defeats occurred inside the Octagon. He fell short in decision losses to Paulo Thiago and Kevin Lee. He has earned a 5-2 record in the UFC, but it hasn’t been easy. All of those wins have come by decision with the judges being split on two of them.
Burkman’s current UFC run has been rough. He was dominated by Hector Lombard in a decision loss that was overturned after Lombard tested positive for banned substances. Burkman would go on a two-fight skid with a submission loss to Dong Hyum Kim and a TKO defeat at the hands of Patrick Cote.
The recent performances of “The People’s Warrior” haven’t come close to the level he competed at for WSOF. There, Burkman won four of five fights and looked rejuvenated. Perhaps his most impressive victory came when he choked out Jon Fitch back in June 2013. Fitch is the current WSOF welterweight champion.
