A pair of ranked UFC bantamweights will collide in June.
No. 14 ranked bantamweight Kyler Phillips teased on his Instagram Story that he will be fighting No. 10 ranked Raphael Assuncao on July 24 at a yet-to-be-announced UFC event. Phillips would later post on his own Instagram account that it was official.
Assuncao (27-8) is coming off a devastating knockout loss to a returning Cody Garbrandt at UFC 250 in his only fight in 2020. The Brazilian fighter is on the first three-fight losing streak of his career, with losses to Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Moraes. While he is ranked 10 in the rankings, Assuncao might be fighting for his job while defending his spot.
Phillips (9-1) is coming off the biggest win of his career to date when he beat Song Yadong via unanimous decision at UFC 259 and snatched his ranking. “The Matrix” is riding a four-fight win streak, with three of the wins coming in 2020. He beat Cameron Else via TKO and Gabriel Silva via unanimous decision.
The UFC’s July 24 event does not have an official location, venue, or broadcast plan announced. The following bouts have been reported for the Fight Night card:
- Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson
- Maycee Barber vs. Miranda Maverick
- Trevin Jones vs. Tony Kelley
- Raphael Assunção vs. Kyler Phillips
- Randy Costa vs. Adrian Yanez
- Mickey Gall vs. Jordan Williams
