Palhares-Massenzio Matchup Added to Growing UFC 142 Card in Rio
Rousimar Palhares will get another Brazilian homecoming at UFC
142 in January. | Photo: Dave Mandel
The dance card for UFC 142 continues to develop, as the UFC announced Tuesday that the event will feature Brazilian Rousimar Palhares locking up with Mike Massenzio in a middleweight affair.
Showcasing a featherweight title conflict between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, UFC 142 is expected to take place Jan. 14 at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, though the promotion has yet to officially confirm the venue. The UFC made its return to Brazil with UFC 134 on Aug. 27, which marked the promotion's first Brazilian event since UFC 17.5 in 1998.
Known for his devastating leglocks, Palhares has won five of his last six. Following a technical knockout defeat at the hands of Nate Marquardt in September 2010, Palhares has won back-to-back bouts, submitting Dave Branch with a heel hook in March before outpointing Dan Miller at UFC 134.
Massenzio began his current run with the world's largest promotion in June, stepping in on short notice for an injured Igor Pokrajac to take on light heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 131. Fighting above his natural weight class, Massenzio was defeated via unanimous decision. The 29-year-old was victorious in his most recent outing, earning earned a hard-fought and bloody unanimous decision over former WEC champion Steve Cantwell at UFC 136 in October.
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