Ken Rodney from TSN.ca reports that featherweights Anthony Pettis will fight Max Holloway at UFC 206. Bantamweights Mitch Gagnon and Matthew Lopez will also be fighting on December 10, 2016 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.
The former UFC lightweight champion Pettis successfully dropped to featherweight vs. Charles Oliveira at UFC on FOX 21 in Vancouver on August 27th. Holloway represents a formidable step up from Oliveira – the Hawaiian is on a nine-fight win streak, and is ranked #3 in the division:
Champion Conor McGregor
1 Jose Aldo (Interim Champion)
2 Frankie Edgar
3 Max Holloway
4 Ricardo Lamas
5 Cub Swanson
6 Anthony Pettis
7 Jeremy Stephens
8 Charles Oliveira
9 Dennis Bermudez
10 Brian Ortega
Good news for the former champion is that a win over Holloway would make him a natural for a title shot. However, the title picture is confused until UFC 205, when division champion Conor McGregor challenges lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. With a win, McGregor will have to choose belts and given his struggles to make 145, it is expected he will keep the lightweight belt. However, interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo has said he wants to quit the UFC. Holloway has not dropped a fight since 2013 and is coming in off a unanimous decision victory over Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199.
Holloway is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199. Just 24, ‘Blessed’ has won three performance bonuses during his three-year run.
Canada’s Valerie Letourneau will also have a new opponent at featherweight after Poliana Botelho was removed from the card, and has been replaced by Viviane Pereira.
UFC 206 will be headlined by a light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson.
