A showdown between light heavyweight finishers has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 16.
Jim Crute (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Misha Cirkunov (14-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) will square off at 205 pounds, the promotion announced Monday. The bout was first reported by Dutch website MMA DNA.
UFC on ESPN+ 16 takes place Sept. 14 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Main-card fights stream on ESPN+.
A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, Crute defeated Chris Birchler on DWCS 14 in 2018. The Australian’s first-round finish impressed the UFC president, who offered the youngster a contract.
Since his signing, Crute has won back-to-back UFC appearances inside the distance. The 23-year-old submitted Paul Craig in his promotional debut, then stopped Sam Alvey with punches at UFC 234.
His opponent, Canada’s Cirkunov, will look to rebound from a brutal TKO loss to Johnny Walker at UFC 235 in March. After winning his first four UFC bouts inside the distance, Cirkunov has been finished in three of his past four fights.
With the addition, the latest UFC on ESPN+ 16 lineup now includes:
- Uriah Hall vs. Antonio Carlos Junior
- David Branch vs. Andrew Sanchez
- Jim Crute vs. Misha Cirkunov
For more on UFC on ESPN+ 16, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
