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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
A middleweight bout between Riki Fukuda and Rafael Natal is coming to UFC 133 in August, according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
Fukuda, the former DEEP Middleweight Champion in Japan, made his UFC debut in February in Australia at UFC 127. Taking on The Ultimate Fighter 11's Nick Ring, Fukuda looked to have done enough in the fight to earn a decision victory, but the judges saw the fight for Ring, snapping a seven fight win streak.
Natal's UFC career hasn't gotten off to a great start. After a decision loss to Rich Attonito in his UFC debut last September, Natal went to a draw with Jesse Bongfeldt in his last fight at UFC 124 in December. Of his 12 career victories, Natal has finished all but two of them, and will look to get his first win since a knockout of Travis Lutter last May.
UFC 133 is expected to take place in Philadelphia this August, though the date and location has not yet been revealed.
Penick's Analysis: This should be a good matchup for the card. Fukuda got screwed out of a decision against Ring. He won that fight and it was not a good decision on the part of the judges in Australia. That said, he'll have a good chance to erase the memory of that fight with a good performance here, though Natal will surely be doing everything in his power to win this fight, as a loss may lead to his release being winless in three fights. But it should make for a good matchup in August.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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