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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
A lightweight bout between Nik Lentz and Rob Emerson is headed to UFC Fight Night 21: Florian vs. Gomi on March 31st, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.
Emerson extended his life in the UFC at UFC 109 earlier this month, picking up a decision victory over Ultimate Fighter season eight runner up Phillipe Nover. A member of TUF's fifth season himself, Emerson had lost consecutive bouts to Kurt Pellegrino and Rafael Dos Anjos before getting back on track against Nover.
Lentz was part of a majority draw his last fight out against Thiago Tavares. He was down on the judges scorecards before an illegal low blow by Tavares cost him a point, leading to the draw. The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product had won his UFC debut in 2009 by defeating Dos Anjos, and looks to erase last fight's performance from his memory against Emerson.
Fight Night 21 serves as the lead in to the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike on March 31st, headlined by a lightweight bout between Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi.
Penick's Analysis: This is a solid addition to the night's undercard. Emerson has performed much better at times than his 9-8 record would suggest, and is a very tough test for any fighter. Lentz was impressive against Dos Anjos last year in his debut but stumbled a bit in the Tavares bout before the illegal blow saved him from a loss. The fight probably won't make the broadcast, but it's definitely a good and competitive fight for the North Carolina crowd.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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