Maximo Blanco fights Sam Sicilia at TUF 17 Finale

A preliminary card matchup appears to be set for the TUF 17 Finale on April 13th in Las Vegas, as Maximo Blanco faces TUF 15 alum Sam Sicilia. MMA Weekly reports:

Maximo Blanco and Sam Sicilia have agreed to a featherweight bout, according to MMAWeekly.com sources close to the fight.

Blanco (8-4-1, 1 NC) has yet to win under the Zuffa umbrella, losing to Pat Healy by submission in Strikeforce and then Marcus Brimage in a dreadful fight at UFC 145. The Venezuelan has won all but one of his fights by KO or TKO, including against current UFC featherweight Rodrigo Damm. His biggest win was against Katsuya Inoue in 2009 to win the lightweight King of Pancrase title.

Sicilia (11-2) is 1-1 in the UFC, having recently fought and lost to TUF Brazil champion Rony Jason by TKO at UFC 153. His win came on the TUF 15 Finale card against fellow cast-mate Cristiano Marcello. The Spokane, Washington native has not gone the distance since his pro debut back in 2007.

The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale has the distinct honor of being the first finale card to hold a title fight, as Demetrious Johnson defends his flyweight crown against John Moraga in the main event.

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