Roop-Hominick Tabbed for UFC Fight Night 23

WEC featherweights Mark Hominick and George Roop will likely square off on Jan. 22 as part of the as-yet-unannounced UFC Fight Night 23 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

The contest -- first reported by Heavy.com, and later confirmed by Sherdog.com with a source close to the fight -- is scheduled to be part of the UFC’s second “Fight for the Troops” fundraiser, the main card of which is expected to air live on Spike TV.

Both Roop and Hominick train under coach Shawn Tompkins, and while both will be making their 145-pound UFC debuts, each has spent time fighting in the Octagon at lightweight. Hominick holds a 2-0 record within the UFC, with a pair of 2006 wins over veterans Yves Edwards and Jorge Gurgel. Roop, meanwhile, went 1-2 in his 2008-2009 run after taking part in the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Since losing his first two fights in the WEC to Rani Yahya and Josh Grispi, Hominick has reeled off four straight victories, including a pair of submissions and one TKO. Previously thought to be the next contender to Jose Aldo’s featherweight title, Hominick reportedly missed out on the opportunity to challenge the Brazilian on New Year’s Day due to a lingering hand injury suffered in his split decision win over Leonard Garcia on Sept. 30.

Roop enters the bout on the heels of the biggest win of his career, a Sept. 30 head kick knockout of fan favorite Chan Sung Jung. Before becoming the first man to stop the seemingly indestructible “Korean Zombie,” Roop controversially drew with Garcia in March, and dropped a unanimous decision to former WEC champ Eddie Wineland in his promotional debut.

While no fights have been confirmed by Zuffa for the Jan. 22 card, “Fight for the Troops 2” is rumored to be headlined by a lightweight bout between former title challenger Kenny Florian and hot prospect Evan Dunham. Also reportedly on the slate are a featherweight clash between Jung and Yahya, and the UFC debut of former Shooto 154-pound champ Willamy Freire against Waylon Lowe.