Khabilov-Castillo, Nijem-Koch Added to UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago

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Two bouts have been added to the UFC on Fox 16 bill.

Rustam Khabilov will square off with Danny Castillo in a lightweight bout, while Ramsey Nijem will lock horns with Erik Koch in another 155-pound pairing at the July 25 event in Chicago. A UFC official confirmed the matchups following an initial report from Fox Sports.

UFC on Fox 16 takes place at the United Center and is headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao. The card also includes a lightweight clash pitting ex-champ Anthony Pettis against Myles Jury.

After beginning his Octagon tenure with three straight wins, Khabilov has dropped consecutive fights against Benson Henderson and Adriano Martins. The Dagestani is 17-3 as a professional overall, including nine triumphs inside the distance.

Castillo has lost three of his last four bouts, including a second-round knockout via spinning back fist against Paul Felder in his most recent outing at UFC 182. “Last Call” is 7-5 in the UFC, with his last triumph coming against Charlie Brenneman at UFC 172 in April 2014.

Nijem went 2-1 in 2014, including a first-round TKO win over rising prospect Beneil Dariush at UFC Fight Night “Minotaruo vs. Nelson.” The Pit Elevated Fight Team representative last appeared at UFC 177, where he suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to Carlos Diego Ferreira.

After an extended run at 145 pounds, Koch moved to lightweight at UFC 170, where he scored a first-round TKO over Rafaello Oliveira. The Roufusport member faltered in his most recent bout, as he was stopped in the opening frame by Daron Cruickshank at UFC Fight Night “Brown vs. Silva.”