Two Flyweights To Make UFC Debuts At March 19th Event

Two fighters will make their first appearance in the UFC octagon at the promotion’s March 19th event. Their matchups – which are both in the flyweight division – are expected to happen on a “Fight Night” card that doesn’t have a confirmed location at the moment.

‘Contender Series’ Winner Hadley To Face Figueiredo

Jake Hadley’s UFC debut is set to come against Francisco Figueiredo, per a report by Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie.

Hadley, an undefeated flyweight with eight wins, is coming off a victory from TV show “Dana White’s Contender Series.” His October appearance saw him score a second-round submission win against Mitch Raposo, securing him a UFC contract by the end of the episode.

Hadley is also a former Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion.

Figueiredo will be fighting to bounce back from his first UFC loss. After winning his promotional debut early this year against Jerome Rivera, Figueiredo dropped a decision to Malcolm Gordon in July.

Undefeated Prospect Mokaev To Meet Durden

The UFC debut of Muhammad Mokaev will also come on the card, as he will face Cody Durden at flyweight. Nolan King, Farah Hannoun and John Morgan of MMA Junkie were the first to report the pairing.

Mokaev has gone undefeated through six pro bouts and an entire amateur career.

Mokaev turned pro just last year after putting together a 23-fight winning streak as an amateur.

It was first reported last month that Mokaev had signed a UFC contract. His last fight was when he submitted Blaine O’Driscoll at Brave CF 54 in September for his fifth pro win.

Durden earned his first UFC win in November, securing a decision over Aoriqileng. He had fought to a draw and been submitted in his prior UFC appearances.

Mokaev called Durden out last month via Twitter, taking offense to how Durden claimed he sent his last opponent, Aoriqileng, “back to China where he came from.”

Updated Lineup

The main event for UFC’s March 19th show is unknown at the moment. Here are the few fights that have been reported for it at the moment:

Bout 3: Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-6) vs. Tom Aspinall (11-2) (Heavyweight)

Bout 2: Jake Hadley (8-0) vs. Francisco Figueiredo (12-4-1) (Flyweight)

Bout 1: Muhammad Mokaev (5-0) vs. Cody Durden (12-3-1) (Flyweight)