By FCF Staff
Just weeks removed from Abe Wagner’s stunning, first round stoppage of former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia, Titan FC has announced that the former All American football player will take on Aaron Rosa, March 25th in Kansas City. Titan FC 17 will be broadcast live on HDNet and will be hosted by the city’s Memorial Hall.
"Both Abe and Aaron like to stand in the pocket and trade," said Titan Fighting CEO Joe Kelly in the official announcement. "Fans attending the fight at Memorial Hall and viewers watching at home on HDNet will have a lot to look forward to when it comes to Titan Fighting Championship 17. However, Wagner vs. Rosa is the matchup to watch because it has all the hallmarks of an epic slugfest."
With the win over Sylvia, which took place January 29th at Titan FC 16, Wagner extended his record to 8-3. The former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor is now 4-1 in his last five fights, with his only loss during that stretch coming to current UFC heavyweight Travis Browne.
"I think the win over Sylvia was huge for me," said Wagner. "It's one thing to win when nobody thinks you will; it's another to win when nobody thinks you can. I'm just going to carry this momentum forward into my next fight. Aaron Rosa is a very skilled and respected fighter and I'm eager to test my skills against his."
Rosa (15-3) will head into the bout having won three straight bouts with victories coming against Robert Villegas, Jay Peche and most recently Devin Cole. Rosa’s last loss took place at a Strikeforce Challengers card in September, 2009, when he was stopped by the promotion’s current light-heavyweight champion, Rafael Cavalcante.
"It's a big fight for me," proclaimed Rosa. "I want to take his hype that he got when he beat Tim."
Titan FC will also feature the promotional debuts of Bobby Lashley and Phil Baroni, who will face James Jack and Nick Nolte respectively. Additional match-ups will be announced in the coming days.
