ANOTHER FIGHTER FROM Ireland’s Straight Blast Gym camp is set to debut in the UFC.
According to a report from respected Brazilian outlet Combate, John Phillips has been added to the 28 January card for UFC on FOX 23 in Denver, which will be headlined by a bout between women’s bantamweight contenders Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena.
Phillips (21-6-1), a Welsh middleweight who moved to SBG last year, will take on Marcos Pezão (14-4-1). The Brazilian has already competed five times in the UFC — amassing a 3-2 record — having come through The Ultimate Fighter in 2014.
After becoming a team-mate of the likes of Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov at the Naas Road gym, Phillips was crowned BAMMA middleweight champion when he scored a first-round knockout of Cheick Kone in Dublin back in February.
Phillips, who was a member of the Welsh commonwealth boxing team before transitioning to mixed martial arts, was later stripped of the title after missing weight by over 13 pounds for his inaugural title defence against Andy DeVent.
In his most recent outing, Phillips picked up the 18th (T)KO victory of his career when he stopped Jose Otavio dos Santos Lacerda in the first round of a bout in Swansea in September.
The 31-year-old former Cage Warriors title challenger will become the third Welsh fighter to compete in the UFC after Brett Johns and Jack Marshamn both made successful debuts in Belfast last month.
