Wilson Reis vs. Ulka Sasaki targeted for UFC 208

Flyweight contender Wilson Reis was set to fight for the title against reigning champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 201. When Mighty Mouse got hurt, Reis instead fought newcomer Hector Sandoval, whom he quickly choked out. Not only will Reis not be fighting for the title next, he will instead face an unranked foe at UFC 208. MMA Fighting reported on Friday that Reis vs. Ulka Sasaki is expected for the promotion’s first pay-per-view event of 2017.

Reis (21-6) is 4-1 at 125 lbs, with his only defeat coming by decision to fellow title contender Jussier Formiga. The BJJ black belt holds wins over Scott Jorgensen, Joby Sanchez, and Dustin Ortiz. He’s #5 overall in the UFC’s official top 15 flyweight rankings.

Sasaki (19-3-2) dropped down to flyweight after suffering consecutive losses at bantamweight vs. Leandro Issa and Taylor Lapilus. The 27-year-old Japanese fighter choked out Willie Gates at UFC Rotterdam in May. He was scheduled to fight Matheus Nicolau at last week’s UFC Sao Paulo card, but was removed from the event after Nicolau was flagged for a potential USADA violation.

UFC 208 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday, January 21st. No other fights have been reported for this event.