Two Flyweight bouts have been announced for the UFC’s return to Ohio in May.
Both match-ups, which will take place in the UFC’s 125-lbs division, consist of Louis Smolka (7-0) vs. Chris Cariaso (16-5) and Kyoji Horiguchi (12-1) vs. Darrell Montague (13-3).
Cariaso-Smolka, Horiguchi-Montague slated to UFC Fight Night in Cincinnati
The bookings were announced by UFC officials on Wednesday night.
The event takes place May 10th at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The main card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Smolka (pictured), a four-time PXC vet and a former PXC Flyweight champ, had a successful promotional debut against Alptekin Ozkilic at UFC Fight Night 35 last month. It was his first decision victory in his seven pro MMA outings.
Cariaso, 32, finds himself on the heels of back-to-back victories following a two-fight losing skid. A former competitor at a 135-lbs, Cariaso is 6-3 in his UFC career with notable victories over Takeya Mizugaki, Vaughan Lee and most recently, Danny Martinez.
Horiguchi, a former Shooto champ, exploded onto the UFC scene defeating Bantamweight Dustin Pague at UFC 166 in what was his promotional debut. That win also marked the 23-year-old’s first fight outside of his native Japan. The lone blemish of his resume, to date, has come against none other than Masakatsu Ueda, ONE FC’s current Bantamweight Grand Prix champ.
Montague, 26, looks to rebound from a knockout defeat he suffered at the hands of John Dodson at UFC 166. Prior to that setback, he boasted a four fight winning streak that included three stoppages.
As it stands, the latest UFC Fight Night in Cincinnati card includes:
- – Ed Herman vs. Rafael Natal
- – Soa Palelei vs. Ruan Potts
- – Manny Gamburyan vs. Nik Lentz
- – Chris Cariaso vs. Louis Smolka
- – Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Darrell Montague
- – Justin Salas vs. Ben Wall
*Photo credit: ATH Sports Nutrition
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