Hardy-Ludwig, Teixeira-Kingsbury, Gonzaga-Del Rosario Added to UFC 146

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The slate for UFC 146 has begun to fill rapidly, as promotion officials Wednesday announced five new fights for the May 26 event.

Welterweights Duane Ludwig and Dan Hardy are set to square off on the card, as are lightweights Jacob Volkmann and Paul Sass. Additionally, former UFC heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga will welcome onetime Strikeforce talent Shane del Rosario to the Octagon, and surging Brazilian light heavyweight Glover Teixeira makes his long-awaited UFC debut against Kyle Kingsbury.

Expected to feature a heavyweight championship main event between Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, UFC 146 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Promotion officials also announced that a featherweight confrontation pitting Darren Elkins against Diego Brandao will be part of the show, the bout order for which has yet to be revealed.

Ludwig, 33, recently had a two-fight winning streak snapped when he was submitted one month ago by a Josh Neer guillotine choke at UFC on FX 1. A 12-year pro, “Bang” has posted a record of 2-3 since rejoining the UFC in 2010.

A stand-up specialist, Hardy (Pictured, center) has lost four straight fights after beginning his UFC career a perfect 4-0. Following a failed title bid against Georges St. Pierre in 2010, “The Outlaw” suffered losses to Carlos Condit and Anthony Johnson before submitting to Chris Lytle at UFC Live 5 this past August.

After taking a year off following his UFC release in 2010, Gonzaga returned to competition in October and reemerged in the Octagon last month, submitting previously unbeaten countryman Ednaldo Oliveira with a rear-naked choke at UFC 142.

Four years younger than his foe, Del Rosario, 28, last competed one year ago, submitting Lavar Johnson with a first-round armbar. The American Kickboxing Academy standout was expected to return to the Strikeforce cage in June, but he was forced to withdraw from a planned showdown with Daniel Cormier after being involved in a car accident roughly six weeks prior to the event.

Teixeira, 32, has not lost since 2005 and rides a 15-fight winning streak into his Octagon debut. Long regarded as one of the world’s top light heavyweights outside of the Zuffa fold, the Brazilian recently overcame well-publicized visa issues to finalize his deal with the Las Vegas-based promotion. Teixiera competed five times last year and finished all of his opponents by either knockout or submission.

Representing the American Kickboxing Academy, Kingsbury recently saw a four-fight winning streak snapped when he was controlled by veteran Stephan Bonnar en route to a unanimous decision defeat at UFC 139. Prior to that November loss, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 alum notched wins over Jared Hamman, Ricardo Romero and Fabio Maldonado.