UFC 159: TUF Runner Up Iaquinta Returns To Face Joe Proctor

Al Iaquinta (left)

Iaquinta, Proctor meet in Newark

Al Iaquinta, the runner-up from season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, will return to the Octagon to face fellow TUF 15 cast member Joe Proctor in a lightweight fight at UFC 159 on March 2 in Las Vegas.

The Serra-Longo sensation was heavily favored to win the coveted six-figure contract, but was submitted at the finale by Michael "The Maverick" Chiesa. Shortly after the loss, it was revealed that Iaquinta would need to have surgery done on his knee due to torn cartilage. This fight will be his first since the loss to Chiesa in June of 2012.

Joe Proctor's last fight was a hard fought decision loss to Ramsey Nijem at UFC on FOX 5. The loss snapped a four-fight winning streak for Proctor, who is 8-2 as a professional.

UFC 159 takes place on April 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen headlines the card.

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