Luis Pena will have the opportunity to prove that he is the true Ultimate Fighter when he takes on fellow TUF 27 alum Mike Trizano at UFC Denver, as reported by the Denver Post.
Both men entered The Ultimate Fighter 27: Undefeated as worthy participants in the series, with neither men donning a loss on their professional record. And even after the show, there isn’t just one member who exits the show without having suffered a loss (exhibition or otherwise), but two.
Luis Pena was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury suffered in his victory over Jose Martinez, while Mike Trizano ran through Thailand Clark, John Gunther, and Joe Giannetti. Trizano would have faced Pena in the second round of the tournament had Pena not been forced to withdraw.
Pena was able to compete on The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale, however, where he earned an impressive first-round submission over Richie Smullen. Although Luis Pena was unable to win the TUF 27 tournament, he has been able to successfully make it to the UFC, which he told UFC.com is the biggest accomplishment of his life:
“It’s a validation of all the hard work and everything I’ve sacrificed in my life for fighting, and the first step to attaining my childhood dream of being the absolute best in the world at something,” Pena said.
Pena has made it to the UFC and is still undefeated, yet still finds himself seeking redemption, or perhaps vindication, when he battles Mike Trizano at UFC Denver.
The Denver Post also reported a light heavyweight bout for the card between Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series alum Alonzo Meinfield (7-0) and Saparbek Safarov (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC), who will be seeking his first win in the promotion.
With the addition of these two bouts, here is the updated lineup for UFC Fight Night 139 (UFC Denver):
Main Event: Frankie Edgar vs. Chan Sung Jung
Donald Cerrone vs. Mike Perry
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ray Borg
Maycee Barber vs. Maia Stevenson
Germaine de Randmanie vs. Raquel Pennington
Amanda Cooper vs. Ashley Yoder
Luis Pena vs. Mike Trizano
Alonzo Menifield vs. Saparbeg Safarov
Who wins? Luis Pena or Mike Trizano?
