Junior Dos Santos vs. Curtis Blaydes is being targeted to top the UFC Raleigh card at the PNC Arena this January.
After battling through a serious leg infection that forced him out of the UFC Moscow main event, Junior Dos Santos is expected to return to action in January. Per a report by ESPN, Dos Santos will face off against Curtis Blaydes at UFC Raleigh on January 25. The UFC has yet to officially announce the fight, after confirming the Raleigh date a couple of days back.
Cageside Press initially reported the January 25 show late last month, prior to the location being finalized. Herbert Burns is expected to take part in the card, as is Frankie Edgar, who is penciled in against Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event.
3-1 in his last four bouts, Dos Santos (21–6) last competed at UFC on ESPN 3 in June, where he was finished via TKO by Francis Ngannou. Prior to that, he racked up wins over Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Blagoy Ivanov.
Curtis Blaydes (12–2 (1)) is part of the new generation of heavyweights in the UFC, which includes Ngannou, Jair Rozenstruik, Tai Tuivasa, and Walt Harris. Blaydes, like Dos Santos, has suffered defeat at the hands of Ngannou, but has had his hand raised in his last two fights, opposite Justin Willis and Shamil Abdurakhimov.
UFC Raleigh, which is expected to serve as UFC Fight Night 166, takes place January 25, 2020 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
