Fernandes

Fighting Roland Delorme at UFC 149

By FCF Staff

At a time when rumors are circulating that the Japanese promotion DREAM has concluded operations, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced that it has signed the promotion’s bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes.

The decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor and former DREAM featherweight champ will make his Octagon debut against Roland Delorme, at the upcoming July 21^st, UFC 149 card in Calgary.

The 32 year-old Fernandes (11-3) hasn’t fought since New Year’s Eve, when he stopped Antonio Banuelos in the opening round to win DREAM’s Bantamweight Grand-Prix.

The Brazilian fighter, who now resides in British Columbia, Canada, scored wins over Rodolfo Marques Diniz and Takafumi Otsuka to advance to the tourney finals.

The last man to defeat Fernandes was Hiroyuki Takaya, who defeated the fighter by unanimous decision on NYE, 2010, to take DREAM’s featherweight title.

Delorme (8-1) is coming off a first round, submission win over Nick Denis in May, after tapping out Josh Ferguson in the third round at the TUF 14 Finale in December.

UFC 149 will be hosted by Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome Arena and will feature a featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and Erik Koch in the main event.