Joseph Benavidez his next hurdle set, in his hunt for another title shot, as the flyweight contender has been booked to fight Ali Bagautinov on October 3rd.
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So, that’s an interesting addition to UFC 192, and it’s an important bout for both men.
Also of note for UFC 192 is that Liz Carmouche is out of her bout against Raquel Pennington, who is now seeking a new opponent.
Namajunas (2-2) and Hill (2-1) are two strawweights with star potential which might be nonetheless making an attempt to realize a big foothold within the Octagon. The 31-year-old flyweight is 9-2 in the UFC.
Bagautinov has not fought since July of last year, when he unsuccessfully challenged Johnson for the title, losing a Unanimous Decision at UFC 174 in Vancouver.
A longtime member of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Benavidez is coming off a decision win against John Moraga at UFC 187 in May.
Benavidez (19-4) has only ever lost to former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and current flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
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UFC 192 will be headlined by Daniel Cormier defending his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time against Alexander Gustafsson. Bagautinov is out of the doghouse after he tested positive for Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (EPO) following his championship loss to Johnson on June 14, 2014. She lost to former strawweight champion Carla Esparza last December in the Ultimate Fighter Finale, and has not competed since. Hill didn’t fare as well on the show, but won her bout against Emily Kagan on the Finale before losing to Tecia Torres in her follow-up bout.
