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According to a report from MMA Fighting on Thursday, Andre Muniz (22-4) has his sights set on moving up the rankings, and he will find his next test in Uriah Hall (17-10) on April 16. The two middleweights have agreed to fight one another at the UFC Fight Night on that date, one which does not currently have a venue and location, although the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is on the table. The intriguing stylistic clash has been subsequently confirmed by Muniz on his Instagram on Friday.
Since earning a roster spot on the third season of Dana White's Contender Series, Muniz has shot up the ranks with four wins in four appearances. Debuting by being triumphant on the scorecards over Antonio Arroyo in 2019, the next three victories all came by armbar. Most notably, “Sergipano” became the first fighter to ever submit Ronaldo Souza, breaking his arm at UFC 262 in under four minutes. Muniz is already tied for the second-most armbars in company history, and one more will reach Demetrious Johnson’s record four.
Heavy-hitting Hall has never been submitted as a professional, with 82% of his wins coming inside the distance and all but one due to strikes. In his last time out, Hall fell short to Sean Strickland in a five-round decision, putting an end to a four-fight win streak over the likes of Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva. Through a tumultuous UFC tenure that began in 2013 following the 17th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Hall has topped other names including Gegard Mousasi, Thiago Santos and Chris Leben as he cemented himself in the rankings for years.
The currently unnumbered UFC Fight Night card on April 16 is awaiting a designated location, although based on the status of the coronavirus pandemic, it could find itself held in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Headlining the show is a welterweight rematch between top-ranked welterweights as Vicente Luque looks to go 2-0 against the resurgent Belal Muhammad. Other notable matchups on the evening include a welterweight banger between Miguel Baeza and Dhiego Lima, as well as a heavyweight rumble between Chris Barnett and Martin Buday.