Raphael Assuncao was supposedly not going to get the title shot due to an injury, but it looks like all of that was a lie. Find out why.
Raphael Assuncao already has a win over current champion TJ Dillashaw and is riding a seven fight winning streak, but that was not enough for the UFC to let him fight for the title.
No, they saids that his broken ankle would keep him out of the proposed title fight between Dillashaw and Renan Barao that takes place at the end of April, but somehow now Raphael Assuncao is set to face off against old foe Urijah Faber a month earlier on March 21st in Brazil.
The two first fought back in January of 2010 where Faber won by submission. After a few more losses at Featherweight, Raphael Assuncao went on to drop to 135 when entering the UFC and has won every fight since then including a win over current champion TJ Dillashaw.
Urijah Faber may have won that fight but his career has not been so bright since their fight. Faber went on to lose a bid for the WEC title in the next fight to Jose Aldo and compiled a record of 9-4. While that is a decent record, every one of his losses has been in an attempt to capture a UFC title. Now, he has won two straight and a win over Raphael Assuncao could set him up for a shot, but that may never come if training partner Dillashaw still holds the belt.
Also set for UFC Fight Night 62 is a Lightweight matchup is the return on Josh Thomson against the undefeated Gilbert Burns. Thomson flirted with retirement after two consecutive losses to Benson Henderson and Bobby Green have made most people scratch their heads. That erased the memory of his sensational win in his debut by knocking out former contender Nate Diaz. Burns is a Brazilian fighter who has won eight straight including two in the UFC. Will his skill propel him to a win past the top ten opponent Thomson?