UFC
TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins meets Erik Koch at UFC "Battle on the Bayou" this September
Jun 11, 2011 - 11:30:56 AM TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins meets Erik Koch at UFC "Battle on the Bayou" this September

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Ultimate Fighter season 12 winner will officially make his UFC featherweight debut at UFC Fight Night 25 in September, as the UFC announced on Saturday that he will take on Erik Koch in an exciting bout.

The event, also known as UFC "Battle on the Bayou," is a jointly produced event with Bud Light that will take place in New Orleans on September 17.

Brookins won his season of The Ultimate Fighter in December with a decision victory over Michael Johnson. The win was his fourth straight overall since his last loss, which actually came under the Zuffa banner against current division Champ Jose Aldo at WEC 36.

Koch, a Duke Roufus product out of Milwaukee, fights for the second time in the UFC and the fifth with Zuffa. The 12-1 fighter made a successful UFC debut in March, knocking out Raphael Assuncao halfway through the first round for the UFC 128 "Knockout of the Night."

Penick's Analysis: This is a fantastic featherweight matchup. Brookins will be better off in this division, but Koch is a beast and will be a major test in his return to featherweight. Considering Koch was buried on the prelims at UFC 128, I'm very excited to see this matchup. Going up against a TUF winner on Spike means he'll be on the main card, and considering his only career loss is a decision to Chad Mendes, this is a huge opportunity for him to make a statement to the UFC and the fans.