A bantamweight showdown between seven-fight UFC veteran Julio Arce and Brazilian newcomer Daniel “Willycat” Santos has been added to UFC 273.
Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media, following an initial report by Eurosport.nl.
The fight finds Arce (17-5) looking to get back in the win column after coming up short against Song Yadong in his last outing. Taking on Yadong in November, Arce was stopped in the second round care of a head kick and follow-up strikes.
Overall, Arce is 4-3 inside the octagon with notable wins over Dan Ige and Julian Erosa. Arce joined the UFC in 2018, after winning on Dana White’s Contender Series the year prior.
Daniel Santos (10-1) will be making his promotional debut at UFC 273. The 26-year old previously competed for Brave CF, Future FC, ACA and others, and had been expected to enter the UFC back in October. That appearance fell through after Santos’ original opponent, Timur Valiev, withdrew. After securing a replacement in Marcelo Rojo, Santos himself then pulled out of the fight.
UFC 273 is expected to take place on April 9, 2022 at a location yet to be officially announced. Although at least one fighter has stated the card is to be held on Brooklyn, UFC President Dana White shied away from confirming that in a recent interview.
Currently, the following bouts have been reported for the card:
Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Chan Sung Jung – for the UFC featherweight championship
Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Petr Yan (ic) – for the UFC bantamweight championship / title unification bout
Aspen Ladd vs. Irene Aldana
Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos
