Paul Sass
Lightweights slated to meet in Las Vegas
The UFC will have a little “Christmas” in May.
A lightweight fight between Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann and Paul Sass has been added to the UFC 146 card. UFC officials announced the fight this week, saying verbal agreements are in place for the bout. The fight will be part of the promotion’s annual Memorial Day weekend pay-per-view in Las Vegas, which will take place May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Though not officially announced by the UFC, the targeted main event of the card is a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior dos Santos and top contender Alistair Overeem. UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta recently said on his Twitter feed that event was the plan for dos Santos’ first defense of the belt he took from Cain Velasquez in November. Overeem, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, beat former UFC champ Brock Lesnar in December to become the No. 1 contender.
Volkmann (14-2, 5-2 UFC) will look to continue his impressive five-fight winning streak in the lightweight division. All five wins have gone the distance, including a pair of split decisions. In December at UFC 141, the Minnesota-based fighter beat Efrain Escudero in the former TUF winner’s return to the UFC. Volkmann also has wins over Danny Castillo and Paul Kelly during the streak.
Sass (12-0, 2-0 UFC) puts his unbeaten record on the line, looking to build momentum off his first-round submission win over Michael Johnson in October. That fight was his first in the United States after going 11-0 in his native England to open his career. All but one of his victories have come by submission, including seven triangle chokes and three heel hooks.
Officials did not announce the placement of the Volkmann-Sass fight on the show. The main card will air on pay-per-view, and the prelims are expected to be broadcast on the FX cable channel. Other fights already announced for the card include a middleweight fight between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and C.B. Dollaway; a lightweight fight between Evan Dunham and Edson Barboza; a heavyweight clash between Shane del Rosario and Gabriel Gonzaga; and a welterweight bout between Dan Hardy and Duane Ludwig.