Canadian karate ace Jeff Joslin (5-3) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Japan, Kuniyoshi Hironaka (10-3), have agreed to square off at UFC Fight Night 9 on April 5, according to Sherdog.com.
The match up is one of many in April that will showcase a gaggle of Japanese talent, including Dokonjonosuke Mishima (17-5-2), Naoyuki Kotani (16-5-5) and Caol Uno (22-9-4).
In addition to the April 5 show, the UFC will also hold a pay-per-view event two days later in Houston, Texas. UFC 69 will be headlined, of course, by UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra, as well as feature Uno versus Joe Stevenson (26-7), among other fights.
Joslin is coming off of a disappointing loss to Josh Koscheck (8-1) at UFC Fight Night at Miramar this past December. "Inferno" lost a unanimous decision, but looked good in his UFC debut despite the defeat. He simply could not stop the relentless takedowns of the former collegiate wrestling champion.
Back in October, Hironaka also lost on all three judges scorecards to 170-pound standout Jon Fitch (12-2) at UFC 64. He looked to have the fight in hand with a guillotine choke early in the match, but Fitch survived and went on to lump up Hironaka with kicks and punches for the remainder of the bout.
Joslin and Hironaka are both extremely talented fighters with a lot to prove in their second UFC appearances. The loser will most likely find himself wondering whether or not he still has a future with the organization.
Expect an exciting fight.
As we passed along weeks ago, Mishima is slated to face Kenny Florian (4-3) the same evening. And, Kotani will also fight that night against fellow UFC newcomer and lightweight prospect from Brazil, Thiago Tavares (10-0).
With these competitors — and more lined up — the UFC is quickly becoming quite a melting pot of international MMA talent.
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