Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes Headlines The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale
A featherweight bout between contenders Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes headlines The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas. Brazilian outlet lancenet.com first reported the match-up on Tuesday.
Former lightweight champion Edgar (19-4-1) is ranked second in the UFC's 145-pound division and is currently on a four-fight winning streak. He's coming off a unanimous decision win over Urijah Faber in his last outing. The 33-year-old's lone loss as a featherweight is to champion Jose Aldo. Edgar has been lobbying for a fight that would get him back to a title shot and a win over Mendes would likely do the trick.
RELATED > Frankie Edgar Wants to Fight at TUF 22 Finale; Willing Aldo or McGregor Replacement
Mendes (17-3) occupies the third spot in the featherweight rankings and is coming off a TKO loss to interim champion Conor McGregor in his last outing. He hopes to remain in the title picture with a win over Edgar, but has lost twice to champion Aldo.
The Ultimate Fighter 22 is set to debut on Sept. 9 on Fox Sports 1. The finale will take place in Las Vegas at a venue soon to be announced. Four fights have been confirmed for the Dec. 11 event.
Confirmed bouts for The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale
Featherweight bout: Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes
Welterweight bout: Mike Pierce vs. Ryan LaFlare
Lightweight bout: Joe Lauzon vs. Evan Dunham
Lightweight bout: Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov