The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming trip to Sweden is shaping up to be a light heavyweight showcase.
Ilir Latifi will square off against Volkan Oezdemir, while Jimi Manuwa will meet Aleksandar Rakic in a pair of 205-pound bookings on the June 1 card. ESPN was first to report the bouts. UFC Stockholm takes place at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden and is headlined by a light heavyweight encounter between Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Smith.
Latifi last appeared at UFC 232, where he lost a unanimous decision to Corey Anderson. The 35-year-old Swede had won five of his previous six fights before that defeat. After skyrocketing to title contention in 2017, Oezdemir has lost three straight, including a split-decision setback against Dominick Reyes in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 147.
Manuwa is also looking to halt a three-bout skid. Most recently, the 39-year-old “Poster Boy” suffered a second-round KO loss to Thiago Santos at UFC 231. The 27-year-old Rakic is riding an 11-fight winning streak that includes wins over Devin Clark, Justin Ledet and Francimar Barroso in the Octagon.