Former UFC champs Lawler and dos Anjos to headline Winnipeg Fight Night card

WINNIPEG – Former champions Robbie Lawler and Rafael dos Anjos will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Dec. 16 at Winnipeg’s Bell MTS Place.

Lawler, a former welterweight champion and current No. 1 contender, will take a 28-11 record with one no contest into the fight. Dos Anjos (27-9), a former lightweight champ, is unbeaten since moving up a weight class to 170 pounds earlier this year.

Canadian light-heavyweight Misha Cirkunov (13-3) will take on No. 3 American-based Brazilian Glover Teixeira, the UFC also announced Thursday in a release. The eighth-ranked Cirkunov, from Toronto, has won eight of his last nine fights.

In another light-heavyweight bout, 11th-ranked Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (22-7) will meet 15th-ranked American Jared Cannonier (10-2). In the flyweight division, 11th-ranked Tim Elliott (15-8-1) will take on fellow American Justin Scoggins (11-4).

Chad Laprise (13-2) of Chatham, Ont., will face London-based Galore Bofando (5-2) in a welterweight fight. Montreal lightweight John Makdessi (14-6) will face American Abel Trujillo (15-6, 1 NC) and Montreal welterweight Nordine Taleb (13-4) will take on American Sultan Aliev (15-6, 1 NC).

The UFC has staged 24 events across Canada since 2008. Winnipeg hosted the UFC 161 pay-per-view event in 2013.