The card for UFC Fight Night 63 has been finalized. The UFC will return to Virginia for the April 4th card, which features a slew of heavy hitters. The action will take place on FOX Sports 1, and in a strange twist the main card will have a 10:00 am start time for us fight fans here on the west coast.
The bout order is as follows:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 1:00 pm ET)
- Ricardo Lamas vs. Chad Mendes
- Al Iaquinta vs. Jorge Masvidal
- Michael Chiesa vs. Mitch Clarke
- Milana Dudieva vs. Julianna Pena
- Clay Guida vs. Robbie Peralta
- Diego Ferreira vs. Dustin Poirier
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 11:00 am ET)
- Liz Carmouche vs. Lauren Murphy
- Gray Maynard vs. Alexander Yakovlev
- Luke Barnatt vs. Clint Hester
- Shamil Abdurahimov vs. Timothy Johnson
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 10:30 am ET)
- Justin Jones vs. Ron Stallings
Pacific Northwest fight fans will likely recognize two of the fighters on this card, teammates Michael Chiesa and Julianna Pena. For both fighters, this card has a great deal of importance. For Chiesa, a win will wipe the bad taste out of his mouth after a controversial loss to Joe Lauzon last September. The fight with Lauzon was halted after Chiesa suffered a deep cut in the second round. While the fight against Lauzon was technically a loss, Chiesa was performing at peak level and he and Lauzon earned fight of the night honors for their efforts. Riding the moment of that performance into UFN 63 could put Chiesa in position to challenge a big name fighter. A matchup that might be on the horizon for Chiesa would be a return bout against fast rising lightweight Al Iaquinta. The two met in The Ultimate Fighter season 15 finale with Chiesa being the victor. Iaquinta has co-main event honors at UFN 63 and if he comes out on top don’t be surprised if he and Chiesa are booked in a fight down the line.
Chiesa won’t be making the trip from Spokane, Washington alone. He will be with his teammate, the first-ever female Ultimate Fighter winner, Julianna Pena. Pena will be making her first appearance in the Octagon since winning TUF title back in November of 2013. After suffering a horrific knee injury, Pena is back and looking to make a statement. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby did not do Pena any favors booking her a fight against the well-rounded Milana Dudieva. Dudieva is a sambo and judo practitioner with legitimate knockout power and she will be a tough test for Pena. The concern for Pena is that she keep her emotions in check and maintain the focused demeanor that helped win the season 18 TUF title.
From top to bottom, this card is stacked. It features not only a main event with two of the best featherweights on the planet but also the return of fan favorite Clay Guida, former title challenger Gray Maynard and young standout Dustin Poirier. Mark you calendars now and remember to set your alarm clock for this early card that promises to deliver.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
