The world’s premier mixed martial arts organization makes a celebrated return to South Korea as UFC Fight Night® Busan takes over Sajik Arena on Saturday, December 21.
The first two bouts have been confirmed for the Busan event, both between top ten fighters in the flyweight and light heavyweight divisions.
At flyweight, No. 4 ranked Alexandre “The Cannibal” Patonja (21-3, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces No. 10 ranked Matt “Danger” Schnell (13-4, fighting out of Amory, Miss., USA). The Ultimate Fighter top pick Patonja has shot up the rankings in short order, and intends to bounce back from a decision loss in a battle with Deiveson Figueiredo that won Fight of the Night honors in July. Schnell is a tough submission specialist who has mounted a four-fight win streak capped off by a Performance of the Night Award at August’s UFC on ESPN 5.
In the light heavyweight division, No. 7 ranked Volkan Oezdemir (16-4, fighting out of Fribourg, Switzerland) takes on No. 10 ranked Aleksander Rakic (12-1, fighting out of Vienna, Austria). Former contender Oezdemir is a knockout artist looking to build himself back into contention after a Performance of the Night win over Ilir Latifi at UFC Uruguay in August. Young prospect Rakic is on a four-fight win streak that includes a lightning head kick KO of Jimi Manuwa for a Performance of the Night bonus at UFC on ESPN+ 11 in July.
Kevin Chang, UFC’s Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific said, “We’ve been eyeing a return to South Korea since our sold out event in Seoul, and we are thrilled to kick off UFC Fight Night® Busan by announcing two ranking fights. Alexandre Patonja versus Matt Schnell and Volkan Oezdemir versus Aleksander Rakic feature four fighters in the top ten of their stacked divisions. Korea has a rising talent pool of fighters as well as established stars, and our fans can expect some big announcements in coming weeks.”
UFC Fight Night® Busan is making its second appearance in South Korea after UFC Fight Night Seoul in 2015. South Korean fans can expect an exciting card for an action-packed event promoted by Eclat at the Sajik Arena on December 21.
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