UFC flyweight John Moraga returns against Matheus Nicolau at TUF 23 Finale
A flyweight bout between UFC contender John Moraga and TUF Brazil 4 semifinalist Matheus Nicolau is slated for The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale on July 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported the booking on Friday.
Moraga (16-4) is currently the No. 6 ranked flyweight on the UFC's media-generated rankings. He has been out of action since suffering a concussion in a May 2015 loss to Joseph Benavidez.
The 32-year-old Arizona native holds a 5-3 record under the UFC umbrella, highlighted by finishes over Justin Scoggins and Chris Cariaso. His only losses inside the Octagon have come against three of the highest regarded fighters in the division -- Benavidez, John Dodson, and UFC champion Demetrious Johnson.
Moraga will now look to get back into action against Nicolau (11-1-1), a Nova Uniao product who submitted Bruno Rodrigues with the rarely seen Japanese Necktie in his UFC debut this past November.
That win came on the heels of a run to the semifinals in TUF Brazil 4, during which Nicolau defeated Mateus Vasco and Reginaldo Vieira before falling short to Dileno Lopes.
The Ultimate Fighter 32 Finale takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will air live on FOX Sports 1. UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk looks to defend her belt in a rematch against Claudia Gadelha in the night's main event.
An updated TUF 23 Finale fight card can be seen below.
- Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha
- TBA vs. TBA -- TUF 23 light heavyweight final
- TBA vs. TBA -- TUF 23 strawweight final
- Jake Matthews vs. Stevie Ray
- Doo Ho Choi vs. Thiago Tavares
- John Moraga vs. Matheus Nicolau
- Gray Maynard vs. Fernando Bruno
- Ross Pearson vs. James Krause
- Cezar Ferreira vs. Anthony Smith
- Andrew Holbrook vs. Joaquim Silva
- Li Jingliang vs. Anton Zafir