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Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez Lands UFC 188 Co-Main Event Slot

Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez Lands UFC 188 Co-Main Event Slot

Hot on the heels of the announcement of Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum to headline the UFC 188 fight card on June 13 in Mexico City, UFC officials have unleashed more bouts.

A particularly enticing lightweight bout between former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and former Bellator titleholder Eddie Alvarez was chief among the additional UFC 188 bouts revealed on Monday.

> SEE ALSO: Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum Official for UFC 188

Melendez (22-4) enters the bout coming off of a loss to current UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 181 after the two had served as head coaches opposite each other on the twentieth season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Like Melendez, Alvarez (25-4) also heads into the bout having lost his most recent fight. Donald Cerrone welcomed Alvarez to the Octagon at UFC 178, handing him a defeat by unanimous decision.

Melendez and Alvarez had been using their social media resources to get the fight to happen after Alvarez withdrew from a scheduled fight with Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night Boston in January.

The winner of the UFC 188 co-main event will definitely put himself back in the thick of the division, just a step or two away from title contention.

Other bouts announced on Tuesday include a women’s strawweight fight between Tecia Torres and Angela Hill, as well as a welterweight battle between Augusto “Dodger” Montano and Cathal Pendred.

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