Kris Moutinho set to return to the UFC this fall against Aaron Phillips

Following his war with Sean O’Malley at UFC 264, UFC bantamweight Kris Moutinho is set to return to the UFC this fall against Aaron Phillips.

Moutinho vs. Phillips will take place on a UFC Fight Night card that is set for October 23. Nolan King of MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the news on Mountinho’s next fight.

Moutinho (9-5) made his UFC debut on short notice against O’Malley back at UFC 264 in July. In what was an absolute war of a fight, Moutinho managed to survive a deadly onslaught of punches from O’Malley and nearly made it to the final bell before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight with about 30 seconds left on the clock. While it was officially a TKO loss for Moutinho, he endeared himself to UFC fans everywhere for his toughness and for his heart against O’Malley, as he nearly went the distance with a superior fighter. Still, Moutinho was awarded “Fight of the Night” for his efforts as he took home a cool $75,000.

Phillips (12-4) is currently in his second stint with the UFC. The 32-year-old American was in the UFC back in 2014 when he lost decisions to Sam Sicilia and Matt Hobar. After going 5-1 on the regional scene following that loss, Phillips returned to the UFC last summer when he suffered a second-round submission defeat to top prospect Jack Shore. Still, while Phillips has only gone 0-3 in the UFC, he has proven himself to be a fairly tough out and he should make for a fun stylistic matchup against Mountho as he is a fellow striker.

The betting odds have yet to be released for this fight, but one can expect Moutinho to open up as a small favorite given how much hype there is following the O’Malley fight.

Who do you think wins between Kris Moutinho and Aaron Phillips?