By TXMMA Staff // Photos by UFC.com via Getty Images
Dallas area representatives Matt Hobar, James Vick, and Chas Skelly head to Tulsa looking to pick up some much needed wins
A trio of Dallas area fighters step into the cage this Saturday night when the Ultimate Fighting Championship heads to the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Taking part in the UFC Fight Night 49 event, Matt Hobar, James Vick, and Chas Skelly will all most certainly be looking for much needed wins in order to progress their burgeoning careers in this one. UFN 49 will also feature former lightweight champion Benson Henderson taking on Rafael dos Anjos in the main event along with a solid undercard. Likewise, the show will be the second leg of a Saturday double header with Michael Bisping and Cung Le also facing off at UFC Fight Night 48 from Macau, China earlier on in the day.
First up, Matt Hobar gets his chance at retribution opposite Aaron Phillips. The Octagon MMA product and former Legacy FC bantamweight champion made his UFC debut this past May against his RFA counterpart Pedro Munhoz. The Brazilian was the better man that night and finished Hobar by first round KO. This time around Hobar takes Phillips, another fighter coming off a UFC debut loss, to Sam Sicilia this past May. With both fighters looking to score their first UFC win, expect this one to be a hotly-contested matchup as part of the UFN 49 prelims on FOX Sports 2.
Next up on the main card, “The Texecutioner” James Vick makes his long awaited return following his successful fun on TUF and subsequent debut win by submission against Ramsey Nijem. It’s been nearly a year since Vick has last stepped in the cage. He’s battled injuries along the way but he’s also had that time to improve also. By all accounts he was considered one of the most “green” fighters in the house when he was on TUF but he flashed more than his share of potential. Now he’ll look to live up to it when he faces off against Walmir Lazaro, a debuting Brazilian out of the Shooto promotion.
Last but not least as far as the Texas contingent goes is Team Takedown’s Chas Skelly also up in his sophomore UFC effort. Chas performed admirably before losing a majority decision to Mirsad Bektic this past April but he’s looking for more this time around as he takes on “Stoneface” Tom Niminaki. A lifelong wrestler and submission specialist, Chas will be looking to put it on the 32 year old Finnish fighter in order to get a finish of his own in this one.
Elsewhere on the UFC Fight Night 49 card, veteran Thales Leites takes on Francis Carmont in a pivotal middleweight matchup while Mike Pyle takes on Srikeforce vet Jordan Mein.See the entire card for UFC Fight Night 49 below.
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
- 155 lbs.: Benson Henderson vs. Rafael dos Anjos
- 185 lbs.: Thales Leites vs. Francis Carmont
- 170 lbs.: Mike Pyle vs. Jordan Mein
- 145 lbs.: Max Holloway vs. Clay Collard
- 155 lbs.: James Vick vs. Walmir Lazaro
- 145 lbs.: Tom Niinimaki vs. Chas Skelly
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 2/8 p.m. ET)
- 170 lbs.: Neil Magny vs. Alex Garcia
- 125 lbs.: Wilson Reis vs. Joby Sanchez
- 155 lbs.: Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Martin
- 135 lbs.: Aaron Phillips vs. Matt Hobar
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/7:30 p.m. ET)
- 135 lbs.: Ben Saunders vs. Chris Heatherly
