Ben Sosoli will face Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the UFC’s return to New Zealand.
Per an official announcement on Thursday, the two heavyweights will clash on the upcoming UFC Auckland card on February 23.
Sosoli (7-2) will seek his first victory with the promotion after making his debut last month at UFC Boston. In that bout, he originally lost a decision victory to Greg Hardy, however it was overturned to a no-contest shortly after due to Hardy’s prohibited use of an inhaler between rounds two and three.
In August, the heavy-hitting “Combat Wombat” appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series in a bout which also resulted in a no-contest when opponent Dustin Joynson could not continue due to an accidental eye poke.
Rogerio de Lima (16-6-1) has had a chequered stint in the UFC, with five wins and four losses under the promotion. He last competed at UFC Prague in February where he lost via an arm triangle choke to Stefan Struve.
UFC Auckland will take place at Spark Arena on Sunday, February 23. The card will be headlined by a lightweight contest between Dan Hooker and Paul Felder. Other bouts currently scheduled for the event are Tyson Pedro vs. Vinicius Moreira and Jake Matthews vs. Emil Meek.
