Number 13 ranked Bantamweight Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres will get a shot at number one ranked Urijah Faber at UFC 175 on July 5th in Las Vegas. UFC officials confirmed the bout on Wednesday.
Caceres (10-5, 1 NC) looked much improved and very relaxed when he submitted hot prospect Sergio Pettis at UFC on FOX 10 back in January. It was Pettis’ first loss as a professional.
Caceres is undefeated in his last five outings, winning four and having a split decision win over Kyung Ho Kang overturned to a No Contest due to a positive marijuana test in March 2013.
Faber (30-7) is coming off a first round TKO loss to 135-pound champion Renan Barao at UFC 160 in February. Prior to that he’d won four in a row, three via stoppage — and all in 2013.
The 35-year-old Team Alpha Male leader and former WEC champ remains a perennial top contender, but has been unable to capture that UFC gold. Faber’s teammate, TJ Dillashaw, will get the next shot at Barao’s title at UFC 173 on May 24th.
Props to Faber for being willing to fight a tough stylist like Caceres who is not ranked in the top 10. The style match-up is an intriguing one and Caceres definitely has a lot more to gain from the win.
It is without a doubt the biggest and highest profile bout in Caceres’ career — not to mention it’s on the biggest card of the year. An impressive win for “Bruce Leeroy” could earn him the next shot at the Bantamweight title.
UFC 175 is headlined with two title bouts as Chris Weidman defends his Middleweight title against Lyoto Machida, and Ronda Rousey defends her Women’s Bantamweight title against Alexis Davis.
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