After calling out Nate Diaz earlier this week for not signing to a supposed fight offer, Myles Jury (14-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will apparently face another veteran of the division instead.
According to Fox Sports, the Alliance MMA product is being lined up to face former PRIDE FC lightweight champion Takanori Gomi (35-9 (1 NC) MMA, 4-4 UFC) at the Saitama Super Arena for the UFC’s scheduled September return to Japan. This would tie in with the announcement last week that this show would feature Gomi as well as other top Japanese talent.
Jury bounced back from being eliminated by Al Iaquinta on the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter and has maintained his undefeated professional record since fighting for the UFC. His most recent fight was a clear three-round decision win over Diego Sanchez.
Gomi is clearly past his very best form, but should arguably be on a four-fight winning streak himself, the only blemish being a disputed decision to Diego Sanchez at the last UFC Japan show in March, 2013. He’s coming off a war with Issac Vallie-Flagg which won Gomi his second ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.
This is an intriguing matchup of streaking prospect versus ageing veteran, and it will be interesting to see whether Gomi is more capable of making it a fight on his home turf against the speedy Jury, who is always moving and hard to pin down.
UFC Fight Night 52 is slated to feature Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson slugging it out in the main event.