A featherweight bout has been added to the upcoming February slate of events.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that a matchup between Alex Caceres and Kevin Croom will take place at the UFC’s Feb. 27 event. As of now, a location hasn’t been revealed for the card.
MMA Junkie was first to report the booking.
After a 4-7 stretch between July 2014 and February 2019, Caceres has picked up victories in three consecutive contests. “Bruce Leroy” earned a unanimous decision over Steven Peterson at UFC on ESPN 4 to cap off his 2019 campaign. The veteran of 39 professional bouts went 2-0 in 2020 as he picked up a unanimous decision win over Chase Hooper at UFC 250 and a first-round submission of Austin Springer at UFC Vegas 8 in August.
The pairing almost took place during that August card as Croom was slotted in to replace Giga Chikadze, but Croom was scratched due to a positive COVID-19 test, he would reveal to MMA Fighting.
“The Hard Hitting Hillbilly” would ultimately get his shot a few weeks later and submitted Roosevelt Roberts in just 31 seconds in one of the promotion’s memorable moments of the year. The 33-year-old’s victory wouldn’t remain on his record for long, as the Nevada Athletic Commission overturned it to a no contest after Croom tested positive for marijuana, which also led to a 4 1⁄2 month suspension.
The UFC’s Feb. 27 event is scheduled to be headlined by a light heavyweight tilt between two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes and former RIZIN FF champion Jiri Prochazka.