The middleweight revealed that he was scheduled to face Deron Winn at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on July 17 during a recent interview with Pub Sports Radio. The pairing was later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com. The bout is contingent upon Hawes not receiving a lengthy medical suspension after UFC on ESPN 24.
Hawes is currently on a seven-bout professional winning streak that includes a trio of triumphs in UFC competition. The two-time Dana White’s Contender Series competitor put together a strong finish to earn a unanimous decision over Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 24 after besting Nassourdine Imavov and Jacob Malkoun in his first two promotional appearances.
Winn, meanwhile, halted a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he outpointed Antonio Arroyo at UFC Fight Night 183 on Dec. 19. The American Kickboxing Academy product is 2-2 in UFC competition and 7-2 as a professional overall.
“Disrespectfully double booked is what I’ll call it,” Winn wrote on Instagram. “I hope this dude is medically cleared and back in the gym on Monday! He’s not gonna be able to rely off his wrestling to win this fight. I’ll be more prepared and sound than I’ve ever been! July 17th is about to be a certified banger!”