UFC
Josh Grispi vs. Matt Grice booked for UFC 136 in Houston
Jul 14, 2011 - 6:55:47 PM Josh Grispi vs. Matt Grice booked for UFC 136 in Houston

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Josh Grispi will have one more chance to turn things around in the featherweight division this October, as the UFC announced on Thursday that he will take on Matt Grice in a featherweight bout at UFC 136 in Houston.

Grispi was originally supposed to make his UFC debut in the first Featherweight Championship bout in the organization's history at UFC 125, but when Jose Aldo was forced out of the event, Grispi took on Dustin Poirier instead.

That decision was the beginning of the end of Grispi's status as a top featherweight contender, as he was beaten up by Poirier for three rounds, and followed that up with an even worse performance against George Roop at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in June.

He'll now take on former lightweight Grice, who made his return to the UFC at UFC on Versus 4 in June after two years out of the organization. His first stint in the Octagon saw him go 1-3 in four fights, with the sole victory being by split decision. He then won four straight before dropping to featherweight for his return bout against Ricardo Lamas, where he was taken out in the first round.

The fight will likely take place on the preliminary card of the October 8 event in Houston, which is expected to feature at one title fight on the night's pay-per-view card.

Penick's Analysis: It's sad that Grispi has gone so quickly from potential title contender to fighting for his roster spot. It's happened in a six month span, and this is absolutely a desperation fight for him. For Grice, he's already 1-4 in five UFC fights, so a loss in this one will also send him back out. The loser is surely on their way out, so both fighters will need to be at their best in this one.