The UFC has finalized a fun bantamweight matchup. Kyler Phillips (9-1) took to his Instagram to announce that the promotion had finalized a matchup between himself and top contender Raphael Assuncao (27-8).
The matchup will take place at a UFC Fight Night on July 24th. For Kyler Phillips, he will be looking to pick up his fifth consecutive win overall and his fourth inside the octagon.
Phillips made his debut with the UFC back in February of last year when he took on Gabriel Silva. After winning that matchup, Phillips went on to stop Cameron Else before taking on the tough Song Yadong at UFC 259.
Phillips was able to defeat Yadong by unanimous decision. The victory put Phillips at fourteenth in the UFC‘s bantamweight rankings. The 25 year old fighting out of the MMA Lab in Phoenix has an incredible amount of potential.
This is going to be a big step up for Phillips and we will get to see where he is in his development. If he’s able to defeat a top UFC contender like Assuncao, he might only be a couple of wins away after that from challenging for the title.
UFC last chance for Assuncao?
If you want to find underrated and under the radar fighters in the UFC, look no further than Raphael Assuncao. Assuncao started with the WEC back in 2009 and transitioned to the UFC when the promotion added the smaller weight classes.
Since then, Assuncao has been one of the best in the world. He’s been a fixture inside the top five and ten, but he’s never quite gotten to a title shot. He’s come extremely close, but every time he got to a title eliminator he’s come up short.
Assuncao will enter this fight on a three-fight losing streak. Combine that with the fact that he’s getting ready to turn 39 and this could be Assuncao’s last chance in the UFC. A loss could send him to the chopping block.
During his run, Assuncao has some incredible wins. He’s defeated TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling, Rob Font, and Pedro Munhoz during his run in the UFC. As mentioned, this is a big fight for both men. A win launches the career of Phillips while a win for Assuncao probably saves his.