Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has unveiled yet another match-up for what will be its first pay-per-view (PPV) event of 2014.
UFC 169: "Cruz vs. Barao."
Fresh off their victories this past Saturday at UFC on FOX 9, Abel Trujillo and Bobby Green will now clash on Feb. 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, as part of the area's Super Bowl weekend festivities.
The card is headlined by a bantamweight title unification bout pitting returning champion Dominick Cruz against interim titleholder Renan Barao. The evening will also showcase featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo putting his strap on the line against Ricardo Lamas.
Both Green and Trujillo are attempting to build upon their impressive final outings of 2013 and claim their spot on the crowded list of fighters looking to claw at the lightweight throne, currently ruled by Anthony Pettis.
Green is currently entrenched in a seven-fight win streak and is 3-0 thus far inside the Octagon. "King" was a late injury replacement for Jamie Varner in Sacramento and won a grueling three-round decision against a grinder the likes of Pat Healy.
In victory, the 27-year-old showcased an impressive striking game and landed many crisp shots on "Bam Bam" and he even employed some Anderson Silva-like tactics with his hands down at his sides. UFC 169 will be Green's third bout in four months, as he’s already notched wins over James Krause and Jacob Volkmann.
He has a habit of finishing fights, as 17 of his 22 victories have come by way of knockout or submission.
That said, there was no fighter more impressive at UFC on FOX 9 than his opponent. A roller coaster year of performances has hampered Trujillo, who literally destroyed Roger Bowling this past weekend, gaining some revenge following their previous fight that ended in a no-contest due to what was deemed as an illegal knee from the Blackzilian.
The win was important for "Killa," who before his back-to-back fights against Bowling, had lost a lopsided decision to Khabib Nurmagomedov, when he was taken down a record 21 times.
Adding the way Trujillo throws his punches and his brutal knee strikes to Green's potent boxing style could culminate in "Fight of the Night" (FOTN) honors for both.
Or "Knockout of the Night" (KOTN) for one.