2018 PFL champion Philipe Lins joins UFC, meets Andrei Arlovski at UFC Oklahoma City

Philipe Lins won a PFL championship in 2018 and is set to begin his journey toward UFC gold.

[autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] won a PFL championship in 2018. Now the Brazilian big man sets his sights on UFC gold.

Lins (14-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed with the UFC and is booked for a May debut vs. former heavyweight champion [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] at UFC Oklahoma City.

A light heavyweight fight between longtime UFC veteran Ed Herman (25-14 MMA, 12-11 UFC) and Korean up-and-comer Da Un Jung (13-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) also has been added to the May 2 card.

The promotion announced both bookings through The Oklahoman on Thursday.

Although Lins won the 2018 PFL Championship and the $1 million that came from it, he withdrew from the 2019 season due to an apparent injury. Prior to his undefeated four-fight stint with PFL, Lins competed in Bellator from 2014-2017. During his Bellator tenure, Lins went 3-3.

As for Arlovski (28-19 MMA, 17-10 UFC), “The Pitbull” has struggled as of late, going 1-4 with one no contest in his most recent six fights. Arlovski’s most recent bout came in November, when he was knocked out by surging Surinamese heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

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UFC Oklahoma City takes place May 2 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The event does not have an official numerical designation, though it is expected to air on ESPN or stream on ESPN+.

The latest UFC Oklahoma City card now includes:

  • Jack Hermansson vs. Chris Weidman
  • Sarah Alpar vs. Duda Santana
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Philipe Lins
  • Ed Herman vs. Da Un Jung

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