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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC overnight added three new fights to the UFC on Fox 11 event on April 19 in Orlando, Fla.
Topping the additions is Khabib Nurmagomedov, who finally secured an opponent in Rafael dos Anjos. Nurmagomedov was originally targeted for a fight at UFC 170, which is where dos Anjos had also been booked until Tuesday night, when his fight with Rustam Khabilov was scrapped due to what was announced as an injury.
The other two new fights for the card see Pat Healy take on Jorge Masvidal, while middleweight Brad Tavares and Yoel Romero square off.
Nurmagomedov is trying to work his way into title contention in the lightweight division on the strength of a highly impressive undefeated record. The 25-year-old has won all five of his fights in the UFC, most recently defeating the aforementioned Healy at UFC 165, and he enters this event at 21-0.
Dos Anjos has won five-straight fights himself in the UFC's lightweight division. In his last outing, he scored a one-sided decision win over Donald Cerrone.
Healy is getting one last chance to turn things around after a rocky 2013. He won his UFC debut in impressive fashion over Jim Miller, only to have the fight overturned due to a failed drug test for marijuana. When he returned to action, he lost to Nurmagomedov, then followed that up with a loss to Bobby Green in December.
He'll now take on his fellow Strikeforce vet Masvidal, who will be out to bounce back from a decision loss to Rustam Khabilov in November.
Tavares holds a five fight winning streak in the UFC's middleweight division, and brings with him a 12-1 record overall into this event. In his most recent fight, Tavares out-pointed Lorenz Larkin to earn a unanimous decision win at UFC Fight Night 35 last month.
Romero also fought on that card, shaking off a rough start against Derek Brunson and ultimately scoring a third round stoppage. That was his third straight (T)KO victory since making his UFC debut last April.
UFC on Fox 11 comes to Orlando on April 19, headlined by the five-round heavyweight fight between Travis Browne and Fabricio Werdum.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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