Pair of Featherweight Bouts Added to UFC 142 in Rio

Michihiro Omigawa

Omigawa-Alcantara, Arantes-Carvalho set for Jan. 14 show

The UFC’s next trip to Brazil continues to take shape with a pair of featherweight fights added to the docket.

Bouts between Michihiro Omigawa and Yuri Alcantara and Felipe Arantes and Antonio Carvalho have found their way to UFC 142, which takes place Jan. 14 in Rio de Janeiro. The UFC announced the two fights on Thursday. Both fights are likely to take place on the preliminary card of the pay-per-view event.

Omigawa (13-10-1, 1-4 UFC) returned to the UFC earlier this year, but continued to have a rough time outside his native Japan. After going 0-2 in the UFC in 2007-08, Omigawa returned in February and lost a unanimous decision to Chad Mendes. In June, he dropped a controversial unanimous decision to Darren Elkins – though UFC president Dana White paid him his win money, believing he was the victim of bad judging. He finally got off the UFC schneid earlier this month with a win over Jason Young in England.

Alcantara (26-3, 1-0 UFC) will fight for the second time in the UFC, and will again do it in his home country of Brazil. He beat Arantes in a unanimous decision at UFC 134 in Rio in August, his debut at featherweight. Alcantara has fought outside Brazil just once in his career – a knockout win over Ricardo Lamas at the WEC’s final show in Glendale, Ariz., last December. He has a 12-fight winning streak, with 11 of those wins coming by stoppage.

Arantes (13-4, 0-1 UFC) suffered his first loss in nearly two years when Alcantara beat him in August in his UFC debut. The Brazilian had built up a six-fight winning streak, and he has 10 of his 13 career wins by stoppage.

And Carvalho (13-4), a Canadian, makes his UFC debut. The 32-year-old has taken his time in his MMA career, never fighting more than three times in a calendar year. He holds notable wins over Hatsu Hioki, who vacated his Sengoku featherweight title to sign with the UFC, and Takeshi Inoue.

UFC 142 will take place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The event will be headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and the unbeaten Mendes.