Jorge Masvidal gets new opponent for next UFC bout
UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal has a new opponent for his next fight.
Masvidal, who was scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum in November, will take on Jake Ellenberger on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 24 finale card at The Palms on Dec. 3.
Gastelum was pulled from his bout with Masvidal to instead fight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 205.
Masvidal said he wanted a big-name replacement. While Ellenberger is no longer in the top 10, he has a solid resume.
Ellenberger once won six consecutive UFC fights and eight of nine only to tumble from contention with a 1-5 stretch. He bounced back with a first-round knockout of Matt Brown in July that was reminiscent of his past form.
Masvidal has split four fights since returning to 170 pounds. The losses came to contenders Benson Henderson and Lorenz Larkin, but Masvidal earned a unanimous decision in July on the same UFC 201 card that saw Ellenberger stop Brown.
The ‘TUF’ finale card will be headlined by the season champion from the reality show challenging Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj