UFC FANS ARE in for an early Christmas present this year as the organisation is set to headline the Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale with former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar facing former number one contender Chad Mendes in the featherweight division.
The fight will take place on 11 December, just 24 hours before Conor McGregor challenges Jose Aldo for the featherweight title.
The news, which has yet to be confirmed by the UFC, first broke on Brazilian website Lancenet before MMAjunkie reported that “multiple people with knowledge of the booking” – who spoke to the site on the condition of anonymity – could verify that “verbal agreements” are in place for both sides.
Edgar is currently the number two ranked featherweight in the UFC — behind McGregor and Aldo — while Mendes sits at three following his interim title loss to the Irish fighter.
With the match-up scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the UFC is putting a contingency plan in place in case Aldo — who has pulled out of five title fights — succumbs to another injury before he faces McGregor.
H/T: MMAJunkie