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UFC 174 Fight Card Gains Rafael Feijao vs. Ryan Bader for Vancouver Return

UFC 174 Fight Card Gains Rafael Feijao vs. Ryan Bader for Vancouver Return

A light heavyweight bout pitting former Strikeforce champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante against Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Ryan Bader has been signed for the UFC 174 fight card.

UFC officials on Wednesday confirmed the fight first reported by the Canadian Press.

UFC 174 marks the promotion’s return to Vancouver for the first time since UFC 131 in June of 2011. Flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson headlines the card, putting his belt on the line against Ali Bagautinov.

Feijao (12-4, 1 NC) has had a rough transition from Strikeforce to the UFC. In his final Strikeforce bout, Feijao originally submitted Mike Kyle, but had the result turned to a no contest when he tested positive for an anabolic steroid.

Upon arriving in the UFC, Feijao lost to Thiago Silva in a Fight of the Night performance. He finally got back on the winning track by stopping Igor Pokrajac just 1:18 into the opening round of their fight last November.

Bader (16-4) started his UFC career in a strong way by winning season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter, but has alternated between wins and losses for the past couple of years. He most recently defeated Anthony Perosh at a UFC Fight Night event in Australia this past December.

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