Kris Moutinho books first UFC fight after Sean O'Malley loss, faces Aaron Phillips this October
Kris Moutinho has his second UFC fight booked.
A Massachusetts-based bantamweight, Moutinho (9-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is set to return Oct. 23 against Aaron Phillips (12-4 MMA, 0-4 UFC) at a location and venue to be announced.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
In July, Moutinho made his promotional debut at UFC 264 when he lost a hard-fought battle against Sean O’Malley. Although he was finished with strikes in Round 3, Moutinho gained a cult-like following for his sudden, short-notice appearance in the international spotlight – and his zombie-like ability to take O’Malley’s shots.
Phillips, 32, seeks his first UFC victory in his second stint. After a five-year rebuild on the regional scene, Phillips returned to the UFC in July 2020. He lost via second-round submission to Jack Shore. Phillips was booked for October against Adrian Yanez but withdrew due to injury. He was then rescheduled for July 2021 against Cameron Else, but his opponent withdrew and the fight was canceled.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 23 includes:
- Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori
- Randa Markos vs. Livinha Souza
- Daniel Lacerda vs. Jeff Molina
- Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Joselyne Edwards
- Jun Yong Park vs. Gregory Rodrigues
- Mason Jones vs. Alan Patrick
- Kris Moutinho vs. Aaron Phillips