The promotion confirmed the pairing following an initial report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The “TUF 25” finale takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 7 and will also see finalists from reality show square off for a UFC contract. Maynard vs. Ishihara is the first bout to be officially confirmed for the card.
Maynard, a former lightweight title challenger, has lost five of his last six Octagon appearances. “The Bully” debuted at 145 pounds at the “TUF 23” finale, where he took a unanimous decision over Fernando Bruno. In his most recent outing, Maynard dropped a three-round verdict against Ryan Hall at the “TUF 24” finale on Dec. 3.
Ishihara, meanwhile, had a two-fight winning streak snapped in his last appearance, as he suffered a decision defeat to Artem Lobov at UFC Fight Night 99 on Nov. 19. Prior to that, the 25-year-old Team Alpha Male representative had scored back-to-back KO wins over Horacio Gutierrez and Julian Erosa.