The UFC is close to finalizing an intriguing middleweight fight between Derek Brunson and Israel Adesanya for UFC 230 on Nov. 3 in New York, according to sources.
The UFC 230 pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden. The promotion has not yet announced a main event.
Brunson (18-6) publicly called for the 185-pound bout, and verbally accepted the date last weekend, sources told ESPN. The 34-year-old contender is coming off a loss to Ronaldo Souza in January, but had won his last two fights prior to that setback.
Adesanya (14-0), of New Zealand, is a rising middleweight contender. A former professional kickboxer, Adesanya signed with the UFC this year and is already 3-0 in the Octagon.
According to sources, Adesanya and the UFC are also close to finalizing a new deal. The 29-year-old completed three bouts of a four-fight deal in the span of five months. He is coming off a decision win against Brad Tavares on July 6 in Las Vegas.
The UFC is loading its Nov. 3 event with middleweight bouts. In addition to Brunson and Adesanya, former champions Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman are expected to meet, as well as Souza and David Branch. The promotion has also tried to book Yoel Romero versus Paulo Costa, but that fight is not yet agreed to.