Remember Andy Enz? He was the very first opponent for Uriah Hall on season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter. Hall defeated Enz by unanimous decision in the season opener, thus Enz never actually got into the TUF house. Enz has been signed by the UFC anyway and he'll get his shot at the big time against fellow TUF 17 cast member Clint Hester at UFC 169.
Hester (9-3) suffered an upset loss on the show to Jimmy Quinlan, but was granted a spot on the season finale, where he KO'd Bristol Marunde with a standing elbow in the final round. His last fight vs. Dylan Andrews at UFC Fight Night 33 ended in disappointing fashion as Andrews injured his shoulder and was unable to continue. A relatively close bout after 2 rounds ultimately became a TKO (doctor's stoppage). Nevertheless Hester is 2-0 in the UFC and undefeated in his last 5 pro fights.
Enz (7-0) broke his arm during his bout with Hall, but since his very brief run on the show he's won 3 in a row this year, all in the Alaska Fighting Championships, with none of his opponents even surviving 75 seconds. He also holds a win over TUF 16 welterweight Nic Herron-Webb.
UFC 169, scheduled for February 1st in Newark, New Jersey, is headlined by Dominick Cruz's return to action as he unifies his bantamweight strap with interim champ Renan Barao. Jose Aldo defends his featherweight title in the co-main event against Ricardo Lamas.