It’s been nearly 10 years since Pannie Kianzad and Lina Lansberg first faced off on the regional scene. Now, under the UFC banner, the bantamweight pair will meet for the second time.
Kianzad (15-6) and Lansberg (10-5) are set to face off at a UFC Fight Night event on April 16, 2022. Kianzad confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report by FrontKick Online.
The pair’s first meeting came early in their respective careers. It was Kianzad’s third fight as a professional; for Lansberg, her first. Pannie Kianzad won the bout via TKO.
Despite that, it was Lansberg who landed in the UFC first. She joined the promotion in 2016 as a potential foil for Cris Cyborg, competing at a 140lb catchweight in a losing effort before moving to bantamweight.
Lansberg missed all of 2021, and is coming off a loss to Sara McMann in January of 2020, making it over two years between fights for the Swedish “Elbow Queen.” Prior to the McMann loss, Lansberg had a very successful 2019, picking up wins over both TUF 28 winner Macy Chiasson, and former Invicta FC champ Tonya Evinger.
Kianzad earned her spot in the UFC as part of The Ultimate Fighter 28, competing as a featherweight. After losing in the final against Macy Chiasson, she picked up a win on the regional scene, then returned to the promotion, where she has posted a 4-2 record since 2019.
Most recently, Kianzad had a four-fight win streak snapped when she lost a unanimous decision against Raquel Pennington.
The UFC’s April 16, 2022 Fight Night event does not yet have a venue, location, or broadcast plan officially announced. The following fights have been reported for the card:
Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad
Drakkar Klose vs. Brandon Jenkins
Miguel Baeza vs. Dhiego Lima
Jesse Ronson vs. Rafa García
Chris Barnett vs. Martin Buday
Caio Borralho vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
Lina Länsberg vs. Pannie Kianzad
