Cerrone-Diaz Tapped for Lightweight Co-Main Event at UFC 141

By Chris Nelson Oct 31, 2011
Lightweight standouts Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz have verbally agreed to square off at UFC 141, promotion officials announced Monday.

The 155-pound matchup will serve as co-main event on the Dec. 30 card headlined by a five-round heavyweight clash between former UFC champ Brock Lesnar and ex-Strikeforce titleholder Alistair Overeem. The UFC’s annual year-end event will air live on pay-per-view, with two prelims on Spike TV, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In their Zuffa careers, Diaz (Pictured) and Cerrone have won a combined 15 UFC or WEC bonuses: 10 “Fights of the Night,” four “Submissions of the Night,” and one “Knockout of the Night” from Cerrone.

Fresh off a submission win over dangerous German striker Dennis Siver at Saturday’s UFC 137, Cerrone will look to finish his rookie year in the Octagon at 5-0. The 28-year-old Greg Jackson student has torn through four opponents in eight months, finishing Siver, Charles Oliveira and Paul Kelly, and taking a lopsided decision over Vagner Rocha.

Diaz, 26, seeks to build on the momentum from his September armbarring of longtime Pride star Takanori Gomi at UFC 135. The first-round victory snapped a two-fight losing streak for the Cesar Gracie pupil and fifth-season winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” who was outpointed by Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald in consecutive welterweight appearances.

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