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A light heavyweight bout between Octagon veterans has been added to the card of UFC 142. According to reports, Bulgarian brawler Stanislav Nedkov (12-0) will take on former professional boxer Fabio Maldonado (18-4) at the January 14th event. UFC Brazil officials confirmed the matchup on Monday via Twitter.
Nedkov, a Brazilian Jui-Jistu blackbelt, heads into the contest after scoring a first-round TKO victory against Luiz Cane in his Octagon debut. The 29-year-old's performance preserved an unblemished record and marked his tenth finish in twelve bouts.
Meanwhile, Maldonado, a Team Nogueira representative with an impressive 22-0 professional boxing record, enters the fray for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision loss to Kyle Kingsbury in June. The setback snapped an eleven-fight winning streak, although both men left home a little richer after earning "Fight of the Night" honors.
UFC 142 is slated for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's HSBC Arena on January 14th. The event is headlined by a featherweight championship bout between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
UFC 142 fight card:
Featherweight Championship: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes
Middleweight: Anthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort
Lightweight: Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza
Lightweight: Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout
Welterweight: Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Erick Silva
Light Heavyweight: Stanislav Nedkov vs. Fabio Maldonado