The next time Fox will air a UFC event will be on July 25th. Already booked for the event is the bantamweight championship bout between TJ Dillashaw and Renan Barao. Also announced was a lightweight bout between former champion Anthony Pettis and Myles Jury. Now fans can anticipate two more lightweight bouts for the Chicago event.
On Wednesday the UFC announced that Ramsey Nijem will take on Erik Koch and Danny Castillo will go head to head against Rustam Khabilov. All four of the fighters are coming off losses and will be seeking a much-needed win in the UFC’s most competitive division.
Nijem (9-5) a former TUF finalist, is 2-2 in his last four fights and suffered a TKO loss to Carlos Diego Ferreira his last time inside the octagon. He has collected five wins in the UFC but also has four loses.
Koch (14-4) is 1-1 since moving up to the lightweight division. He has not fought since last May when he suffered a TKO loss to Daron Cruickshank. Koch is a WEC veteran who once rattled off a four fight win streak but since the streak he is only 1-3.
Castillo (17-8) who is a member of Team Alpha Male, is trying to avoid a three fight skid. He suffered a decision loss to Tony Ferguson and was on the wrong end of a highlight reel KO when Paul Felder landed a spinning back fist in their bout at UFC 182.
Khabilov (17-3) was on the verge of entering the title picture when he met Benson Henderson last June. He lost the bout via a rear naked choke and then dropped his next bout to Adriano Martins back in February. It was the first time Khabliov had suffered losses in consecutive bouts. Before his loss to Henderson he was on a six fight win streak and started his professional career with an 11-fight win streak.
UFC on Fox 16 will take place on July 25th from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.