A ranked bantamweight will defend her spot against an MMA veteran at UFC 263 in June.
The UFC announced via press release Tuesday that No. 11 ranked bantamweight Pannie Kianzad will fight Alexis Davis at the PPV event on June 12. Davis would confirm the news on her Instagram.
Coming for her 2nd straight W!!
🇨🇦@AlexisDavisMMA steps in to face 🇸🇪@PannieKianzad at #UFC263! pic.twitter.com/bJuTIfK0Ph
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) May 11, 2021
Kianzad (12-5) is riding a three-fight win streak since losing her UFC debut in 2019. Last year she fought twice, securing her ranking in the bantamweight division. At UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till on ‘Fight Island,’ Kianzad defeated former title challenger Bethe Correia via unanimous decision. “Banzai” would return on the last UFC event of 2020 to defeat Sijara Eubanks.
With her back against the wall, Davis (20-10) snapped her three-fight losing streak earlier this year at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane against prospect Sabina Mazo. She would win a unanimous decision. Davis was also returning off of a lengthy lay-off. After spending her last four fights at flyweight, the Canadian also returned to bantamweight, where she started her UFC career. A win over Kianzad will put her back into the rankings where she sat for many years.
UFC 263 takes place June 12, 2021, will be held at the Gila River Arena, in Glendale Arizona. The card boasts two title fights and currently breaks down as follows:
- Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Marvin Vettori – for the UFC middleweight championship
- Deiveson Figueiredo (c) vs. Brandon Moreno – for the UFC flyweight championship
- Leon Edwards vs. Nate Diaz
- Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
- Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad
- Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell
- Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
- Lauren Murphy vs. Joanne Calderwood
- Movsar Evloev vs. Hakeem Dawodu
- Pannie Kianzad vs. Alexis Davis
- Frank Camacho vs. Matt Frevola
- Sijara Eubanks vs. Karol Rosa
- Chase Hooper vs. Steven Peterson
- Fares Ziam vs. Luigi Vendramini
- Carlos Felipe vs. Jake Collier
