Sam Stout may have another British lightweight for his next opponent.
Fresh off a split-decision win over Paul Taylor at UFC 121, Stout is being lined up for a fight with Taylor’s team mate Paul Kelly.
Verbal agreements are in place according to a source Fighters Only spoke with, with the fight likely to place on the undercard of UFC 126 in Las Vegas.
Stout is 1-1 in his last two and 3-1 in his last four, with all of those fights going to decision. Kelly is also 1-1 in his last two and 2-2 in his last four. Both his wins have been inside the distance, as was one of the losses.
Three of Stout’s last four bouts have been declared Fight of the Night (all except the Paul Taylor fight) and each earned him and his opponent a cheque for $60,000. Kelly has one Fight of the Night to his name, from his UFC 80 debut… against Paul Taylor.
Kelly fought this past weekend at UFC 123 in Detroit, Michigan. He stopped UFC debutant TJ O’Brien in the second round by way of TKO due to elbows on the floor, having trapped the BJJ black belt in a crucifix.
If the fight is signed, it will be the third Team Kabon fighter that Stout has faced. Aside from Taylor, Stout has also fought Terry Etim. He lost a unanimous decision.
The UFC recently absorbed the WEC and the lightweight division is set to become one of the most competitive. It has been indicated that roster cutting will be more aggressive going forward and this fight, as with many others, could have the losing fighter’s UFC contract on the line.
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