Photo via Getty Images.
Jiu-Jitsu world champion Roger Gracie will make his UFC debut along side a fellow Strikeforce import in Tim Kennedy when the two face off on July 6, Gracie told GracieMag.com on Monday.
The two have agreed to face each other at a yet-to-be announced UFC event in Las Vegas.
Gracie (6-1) last competed at the Strikeforce finale in January, gaining a submission-win over Anthony Smith on the card. The win gave Gracie strong leverage in earning himself a spot on the UFC roster after the demise of Strikeforce. Five of Gracie’s six MMA wins have come by submission.
Kennedy (15-4), like Gracie, last fought on the final Strikeforce card and earned a submission-win. Prior to that, Kennedy fought for the Strikeforce middleweight title, losing to champ Luke Rockhold in the contest.
Previous reports indicated that Gracie and Kennedy would fight on the UFC on FX 8 card in Brazil in May, but further investigation showed that Las Vegas instead will play to host city for the fight. UFC officials declined to comment about the match-up.
—
Marcelo Dunlop contributed to this report.
For more UFC and MMA coverage,
visit GRACIEMAG.com’s Choke MMA section
