UFC middleweight striker Uriah Hall will return to the Octagon against rising contender Andre Muniz and the bout is expected to take place on April 16.
Airing on ESPN+, the middleweight bout will serve on the card headlined by the welterweight rematch between Belal Muhammad and Vicente Luque. The reported match-up was first revealed by MMA Fighting. As of this writing, verbal agreements are in place and the bout is expected to be finalized imminently.
Andre Muniz Looking To Steal Uriah Hall’s Ranking
Uriah Hall is attempting to rebound after dropping a 5-round unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland in their July main event. During the contest, it appeared the forward pressure of “Tarzan” had an impact on the calculated striker. Prior to his loss to Strickland, Hall looked to be on a roll and entered the contest with a 4-fight winning streak. In 2020, Hall’s rise up the 185-pound ladder began to gather steam. The thriving middleweight finished Anderson Silva with punches in the fourth round of their Halloween night main event.
After his big win against “The Spider”, the American was tasked with facing another former middleweight champion, Chris Weidman. The pair had fought many years ago. After a kick was checked by Hall, the fight was called off after Weidman sustained a serious leg injury. Despite losing his last fight to Strickland, Hall has held onto a #9-ranking. However, there’s an up-and-coming Brazilian on the rise who appears to have quite the grappling toolbox.
Ranked at #13, Andre Muniz has a big opportunity to finally penetrate the top-10 rankings at middleweight. Patience is an important attribute in the fight game, and Muniz has demonstrated that he has it in spades. The Contender Series alum fought on the show in 2018 and 2019 before entering the UFC. Following two wins in the division, the UFC paired the rising contender with submission specialist and legend, Ronaldo Souza.
The fight went unexpected for most, as the younger Muniz managed to submit “Jacare” with an inverted arm-bar. In his 2021 appearance against Eryk Anders, the grappling ace finished another opponent in the first round with an arm-bar. The fight is dangerous for both, and the April 16 card looks to be steadily taking shape.
With the addition of Uriah Hall vs. Andre Muniz added to the card, here is a tentative lineup for the UFC card scheduled for April 16
- Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad
- Miguel Baeza vs. Dhiego Lima
- Chris Barnett vs. Martin Buday
- Uriah Hall vs. André Muniz
- Drakkar Klose vs. Brandon Jenkins
- Rafa García vs. Jesse Ronson
- Caio Borralho vs. G. Omargadzhiev
- Lina Länsberg vs. Pannie Kianzad
