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UTICA, NY – JUNE 01: Julio Arce celebrates after submitting Daniel Teymur of Sweden in their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at the Adirondack Bank Center on June 1, 2018 in Utica, New York. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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UTICA, NY – JUNE 01: Julio Arce celebrates after submitting Daniel Teymur of Sweden in their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at the Adirondack Bank Center on June 1, 2018 in Utica, New York. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Julio Arce, the former UFC Featherweight contender, will take on Timur Valiev at UFC Fight Night on February 6. Arce was competing in the Featherweight division of UFC but will go one notch down to compete in the Bantamweight now. As per MMA Junkie, there has been no specific location announced for the fight, but the card might be streamed at ESPN+.
Julio Arce vs. Timur Valiev added to UFC Fight Night on Feb. 6 (via @Farah_Hannoun, @MMAjunkieJohn) https://t.co/B9sm0Q8KeR
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) November 23, 2020
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Arce holds a pro-MMA record of 16 wins, 4 losses & 3 wins, with 2 of those losses coming in the UFC. On the other hand, his opponent, Valiev, holds 16 wins and 2 losses in his pro-MMA career and 1 no-contest in the UFC.
Both of them are currently unranked in the UFC and would be desperate enough to secure a spot in Top-15 of the Bantamweights.
Arce fought last at UFC 244 against Hakeem Dawodu, suffering a split decision loss. He hasn’t been very active in his decision; however, he shows a lot of promise for the future.
A Move To Bantamweight, Good Step By Julio Arce?
Arce made his UFC debut in 2017 at Dana White’s Contender Series. He confronted Peter Petties in that fight and won it via T/KO by punches. Arce landed 63 strikes and dominated the whole fight with his extensive standup game.
He had a bigger challenge while facing the current 11th ranked Featherweight, Dan Ige. Arce again astounded everyone with his striking abilities and won the 3 round fight via unanimous decision.
Arce won his last fight in 2019 against Julian Erosa via T/KO through a leg-kick in round 3. A few months later, he faced Hakeem Dawodu and lost the bout via split decision.
Since then, Arce has been looking to make a comeback to the octagon and secure a win to make his way to the top.
Taking into account his compact frame and speed, a move to Bantamweight can be a boon for the southpaw. He will have to be active enough compared to his Featherweight run to secure a ranking in the most dynamic division.
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Adding this bout to the UFC Fight Night on February 6, the fight card now looks impressive and worth a watch.
Who do you think gets that much needed ‘W’ to his resume in this fight? Can Arce sustain a positive run in the Bantamweight division?
Let us know in the comments below.
