Ricardo Funch
Two new bouts added to January card in Rio
UFC 142 has become the latest fight card to be plagued with injuries. After the announcement Friday that Rob Broughton was out, and replaced by former UFC heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga, another pair of fights has seen changes.
Gonzaga teammate Ricardo Funch will replace Paulo Thiago to face Mike Pyle, and former WEC welterweight title challenger Carlo Prater steps in for Siyar Bahadurzada to meet Erick Silva. The UFC announced the new bouts on Saturday.
Funch (8-2, 0-2 UFC) returns to the UFC after a win outside the promotion. He lost a unanimous decision to Johny Hendricks at UFC 107, then was submitted by Claude Patrick at UFC 115 and released. A win in Massachusetts two weeks ago got him the return call.
Prater (29-10-1) will make his UFC debut after more than nine years as a pro. He went 0-2 in the WEC, but a win for Strikeforce against Bryan Travers in February started a current four-fight winning streak. Prater has several notable wins in his lengthy career, including victories over UFC fighters Melvin Guillard, Carlos Condit, Spencer Fisher and Keith Wisniewski.
UFC 142 takes place Jan. 14 in Rio de Janeiro, the UFC’s second trip to Brazil since August. The pay-per-view will be headlined by a featherweight title bout between champion Jose Aldo and unbeaten challenger Chad Mendes.
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UFC 142 Injuries Create More New Matchups