Phil Hawes and Chris Curtis will meet in the UFC octagon after all.
While the middleweight bout was first attempted for an October 9th card, it is now expected to happen at the promotion’s November 6th pay-per-view event, as first reported by Marcel Dorff of MMA DNA.
The booking joins UFC 268, which is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, USA.
The original matchup of Hawes and Curtis came under unique circumstances. Curtis was attempting to step in on just one day’s notice, replacing Deron Winn on a “Fight Night” card.
The October 9th pairing between the middleweights was canceled after Hawes decided not to take a new opponent on such short notice.
The new matchup sets a new date for Curtis’ UFC debut. The middleweight veteran has fought for over a decade, including appearances in PFL and a fight on the second season of “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Curtis is getting his UFC shot after picking up four wins on the regional scene this year alone.
Hawes has gone undefeated since joining the UFC roster last year. His third win in the promotion came in May, defeating Kyle Daukaus via unanimous decision.
UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman is expected to rematch Colby Covington in the main event of UFC 268. Here’s the updated lineup:
Bout 11: Kamaru Usman (19-1) vs. Colby Covington (16-2) (UFC Welterweight Championship)
Bout 10: Rose Namajunas (10-4) vs. Zhang Weili (21-2) (UFC Strawweight Championship)
Bout 9: Justin Gaethje (22-3) vs. Michael Chandler (22-6) (Lightweight)
Bout 8: Edmen Shahbazyan (11-2) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (10-3) (Middleweight)
Bout 7: Frankie Edgar (24-9-1) vs. Marlon Vera (19-7-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 6: Al Iaquinta (14-6-1) vs. Bobby Green (27-12-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 5: Andreas Michailidis (13-4) vs. Alex Pereira (3-1) (Middleweight)
Bout 4: Shane Burgos (13-3) vs. Billy Quarantillo (16-3) (Featherweight)
Bout 3: Jordan Williams (9-5) vs. Ian Garry (7-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 2: CJ Vergara (9-2-1) vs. Ode Osbourne (9-4) (Flyweight)
Bout 1: Phil Hawes (11-2) vs. Chris Curtis (26-8) (Middleweight)
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