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José Henrique Souza has long been recognized as a talent capable of achieving big things in the UFC. However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency found nandrolone metabolites in his sample during a test conducted in March 2023 and suspended the Brazilian in June. After serving his two-year suspension, the Rio de Janeiro native will finally get his chance to enter Dana White’s promotion.

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According to reports, the Rio de Janeiro native will face Charles Radtke at UFC Vegas 116 at the UFC Apex on April 4, where Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan will headline the event.

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“RESTART IN THE UFC 🔥 After suspension and canceled fights, José Henrique Canela confirms debut at UFC Vegas 115 against Charles Radtke in Las Vegas!” AG Fight posted on X. “Will the Nova União athlete finally step into the world’s most famous octagon?” they added.

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For those unversed, the Rio de Janeiro native was scheduled to make his UFC debut twice this year at the UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira event, but both bouts fell through abruptly. At first, Souza’s fight fizzled out because an injury forced Eric Noland out of the first fight. Later, Souza withdrew from his scheduled bout against Nikolay Veretennikov for undisclosed reasons. Despite the cancellations, the promotion still gave him another opportunity to showcase his skills on a big stage, and there is a good reason behind it.

Although Souza lost his Dana White’s Contender Series fight against Yusaku Kinoshita in 2022 and was later suspended, he made a clever decision. The 23-year-old prospect did not stop fighting, as he continued competing in local promotions where the USADA suspension did not affect him because those leagues were outside the USADA’s jurisdiction.

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Now, as another talented Brazilian eyes a strong debut at the Apex, the card itself is shaping up to be an exciting one. Three fights, in particular, could entertain the audience and keep them on the edge of their seats.

Three fights to watch out for at UFC Vegas 112

For UFC fans, the main event between Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan will surely receive the most attention. Still, there are three other fights that fans cannot miss, starting with the action-packed bantamweight clash between Ethyn Ewing and Rafael Estevam.

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Ewing cemented himself as a breakout star by stopping Malcolm Wellmaker’s hype train at UFC 322. ‘The Professor Finesser’ neutralized Wellmaker’s knockout power and secured a unanimous decision win. Now he will face an even more credible opponent in Estevam, who is currently on a three-fight winning streak.

Following that matchup, fans will also look forward to the middleweight clash between Edmen Shahbazyan and Jun Yong Park, which is expected to bring fireworks. ‘The Golden Boy’ has been a standout from Xtreme Couture alongside his teammate and former champion Sean Strickland. He will be looking to put on a show against the South Korean, who is coming off a loss to Ikram Aliskerov.

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Lastly, former strawweight title challenger Virna Jandiroba returns to face Tabatha Ricci. The winner of this fight could move one step closer to another title opportunity in the division.

That said, which fight do you think will bring the most violence inside the Octagon on the April 4th fight night event? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Biplob Chakraborty

1,394 Articles

Biplob Chakraborty is a passionate UFC and MMA writer at EssentiallySports, where he delivers clear and engaging fight analysis, event previews, and post-fight breakdowns. With over two years of experience writing about mixed martial arts, Biplob combines his love for the sport with his background as a boxing practitioner to bring fans closer to the action inside the cage. His work focuses on not just the storylines but the techniques and moments that truly define each fight. Before joining EssentiallySports, Biplob built a solid foundation in combat sports journalism by running his own MMA news site and contributing to other respected outlets. He’s known for creating audience-friendly content that reaches fight fans worldwide, keeping them up to date on the latest UFC news and trends. Biplob’s passion for MMA grew from watching unforgettable battles like the iconic Robbie Lawler versus Rory MacDonald fight, and that same passion shines through every article he writes.

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Ashvinkumar Nilkanth Patil

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