Mauricio Rua will return in his home country in what could be his final fight.
“Shogun” (27-12-1 MMA, 11-10-1 UFC) meets Ihor Potieria (18-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 283, which takes place on Jan. 21 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Mania was first to report the news.
Rua, 40, will look to rebound from back-to-back losses to Paul Craig and Ovince Saint Preux. Prior to that, the former PRIDE and UFC light heavyweight champion defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira for a third time. Heading into his fight with Saint Preux in May, Rua hinted at two final fights before retirement. If that’s the case, UFC 283 could mark the last fight of his career.
Meanwhile, Contender Series graduate Potieria will be in search of his first UFC win. The 26-year-old Ukrainian fighter dropped his octagon debut to Nicolae Negumereanu by knockout at UFC 277 in July.
With the addition, the current UFC 283 lineup includes:
- Champion Deiveson Figueiredo vs. interim champion Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Mounir Lazzez
- Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes
- Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brad Tavares
- Ihor Potieria vs. Mauricio Rua
