The UFC has added a fan-friendly middleweight matchup to its UFC 319 lineup.
Jared Cannonier will take on Michael “Venom” Page in a 185-pound meeting of talented strikers, the organization announced Friday.
Cannonier is a one-time title contender coming off a fourth-round technical knockout win over Gregory Rodrigues in a February Fight Night main event. The 41-year-old American holds notable wins over past champions Sean Strickland and Anderson Silva.
Page is 2-1 since joining the UFC, beating Kevin Holland and losing to Ian Machado Garry at welterweight, before moving up to middleweight where he became the first fighter to defeat Shara Magomedov earlier this year. The 37-year-old from England is regarded as one of the most creative strikers in mixed martial arts.
The Aug. 16 event takes place in Chicago and is scheduled to be headlined by a middleweight title fight between reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev.
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