Laprise confirmed for Saskatoon debut

One of Canada’s fast-rising lightweights now knows who he will face during the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut in Saskatoon.

Chad Laprise (10-0) has reached a verbal agreement to take on Francisco Tri-naldo (17-4) in an undercard bout at UFC Fight Night on Aug. 23 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, a UFC official confirmed on Friday. The event is the UFC’s first in Saskatchewan.

Laprise, who last year won The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, is 3-0 in the UFC. Most recently, the 28-year-old Ontario native, who now trains in Montreal, beat Bryan Barberena as a fight-of-the-night award winner at UFC 186 in April.

Trinaldo has won three fights in a row, most recently beating Norman Parke in May.

Other bouts previously announced for the Saskatoon card include: Max Holloway versus Charles Oliveira in a bantamweight main event; Rick Story against Erick Silva in a welterweight co-main event; Patrick Cote against Josh Burkman in a welterweight match; Sam Stout against Frankie Perez in a lightweight match; Chris Kelades versus Chris Beal in a flyweight contest; Shane Campbell versus Elias Silverio in a lightweight bout; Maryna Moroz against Valerie Letourneau in a women’s strawweight match; Yves Jabouin taking on Felipe Arantes in a bantamweight match; Nikita Krylov versus Marcos Rogerio de Lima in a light-heavyweight match; and Sean O’Connell versus Misha Cirkunov in another light-heavyweight match.

Also expected to compete on the card is fellow TUF Nations alum Olivier-Aubin Mercier.