Returning to the UFC for the first time since a solid 3-1 run in the organization, Paul Buentello (27-10 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is expected to meet fast-rising heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in December at UFC 107.
A source close to the negotiations told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) verbal agreements are in place and that bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.
UFC 107, headlined by UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, takes place Dec. 12 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., and airs on pay-per-view.
Buentello, whose Aug. 1 fight with Gilbert Yvel was scratched with the promotional demise of Affliction Entertainment, returns to the UFC for the first time since his TKO victory over the late Gilbert Aldana at UFC 57 in 2006. Buentello suffered a loss to then-champ Andrei Arlovski in his previous bout and then left the organization after rebounding for the win over Aldana.
Buentello has strung together a solid run since that loss to Arlovski; he's 6-1 (with five stoppages) with the lone loss coming to Alistair Overeem in a November 2007 fight for Strikeforce's first-ever heavyweight title. Buentello most recently defeated Kirill "Baby Fedor" Sidelnikov at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" in January.
Duffee, meanwhile, looks to build off his record-setting performance at UFC 102. There, making his UFC debut, Duffee quickly stopped Tim Hague with punches to score the quickest knockout in UFC history. The seven-second knockout was the American Top Team fighter's fifth KO or TKO win in five career fights. Only one has gone past the first round.
The latest rumored UFC 107 card now includes:
•Champ B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez (for lightweight title)*
•Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida*
•Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir*
•Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago*
•Paul Buentello vs. Todd Duffee*
•Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia*
•Kevin Burns vs. T.J. Grant*
