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Frankie Saenz meets newcomer Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Fresno

The UFC’s upcoming Fresno card is nearing completion with the addition of a bantamweight bout between Frankie Saenz and Octagon newcomer Merab Dvalishvili.

Saenz-Dvalishvili was recently posted to the official UFC Fresno event page following an initial report by MMA DNA.

The 37-year-old Saenz (11-5) will be looking to turn his fortunes around after losing three straight bouts vs. Augusto Mendes, Eddie Wineland, and Urijah Faber. Hailing from Phoenix, Ariz., Saenz emerged as a surprising contender after winning a unanimous decision over the heavily-favored Iuri Alcantara on Feb. 22, 2015. He won his first three UFC fights before going on his current skid.

Dvalishvili (7-2) is a native of the country of Georgia, but he now trains at the Serra BJJ Academy in Huntington, N.Y. He’s been a standout in the Ring of Combat promotion and he brings a six-fight win streak into his UFC debut.

In Dvalishvili’s most recent contest, he needed just 15 seconds to knock out Raufeon Stots with a spinning backfist:

UFC Fight Night 123 takes place at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. on Dec. 9, and it is scheduled to be headlined by a featherweight bout between Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega.

See the updated card below (bout order to be determined):

This article first appeared at MMA Fighting – All Posts

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