Kris Moutinho vs. Guido Cannetti targeted for March 12 UFC event

Kris Moutinho will make his second UFC walk following a hard-fought, short-notice battle with Sean O’Malley in his octagon debut.

Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that the UFC is targeting a matchup between Moutinho and Guido Cannetti on March 12 at a location and venue yet to be announced. MMA Argento was first to report the booking.

Moutinho may not have had his hand raised at UFC 264, but he certainly gained a lot of fans for his gutsy performance where he absorbed a ridiculous amount of damage over the course of the fight before O’Malley finally put him away late in the third round. The 29-year-old got his UFC opportunity following back-to-back finishes while competing for CES MMA.

Cannetti is 2-5 thus far in his UFC tenure and looks to snap a three-fight skid when he makes his first 2022 appearance. In his most recent bout, Cannetti dropped a split decision to Mana Martinez at UFC Vegas 35 in August.