A high-profile middleweight matchup between Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland is in the works for the main event of the UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 15.
The bout has yet to be officially signed. Ariel Helwani first reported news of the plans.
Cannonier (15-6) and Strickland (25-4) are both top-ranked middleweights in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Cannonier is the No. 4 ranked middleweight in the world, while Strickland is currently slotted at No. 11.
Both men recently suffered losses at UFC 276, with Cannonier losing a lopsided decision to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Strickland suffering a first-round knockout loss to the division’s next title challenger, Alex Pereira.
Prior to that setback, Cannonier won fix of his previous six UFC bouts, a run highlighted by KO/TKO wins over Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva, and Jack Hermansson.
Strickland, likewise, won six consecutive bouts prior to his loss to Pereira, notching wins over the likes of Hermansson, Uriah Hall, and Brendan Allen.
A date and venue has yet to be formalized for the UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 15.
Mike Heck and Damon Martin contributed to this report.
