del Rosario-Inocente added to UFC 168
It’s rare to see two fighters both coming off one-year plus layoffs in the same cage at the same time, but that will be the scenario at play at UFC 168, when heavyweights Shane del Rosario and Guto Inocente square off.
The UFC confirmed the bout on Friday.
del Rosario has not competed since last December, when he suffered a second straight knockout loss, this one to Pat Barry. He was scheduled to fight Dave Herman over the summer but was forced out after suffering an injury during training. del Rosario had been one of the most promising heavyweights in MMA, beginning his career with an 11-0 record before his current two-fight skid.
The reasons for Inocente’s lengthy layoff are not quite as clear. His last matchup took place in May 2012, when he defeated Virgil Zwicker during a Strikeforce event. He was supposed to compete in September of that year for the same promotion before the card was ultimately scrapped. Until now though, the Brazilian has not been linked to any other bout for the entirety of 2013.
Inocente, a member of the Blackzilians fight team, is 6-2 overall in his career, and is considered a kickboxing specialist.
UFC 168, the promotion’s year-end event, takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 28, and features two championship rematches, including middleweights Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, and women’s bantamweights Ronday Rousey and Miesha Tate.
