UFC 189 Gets Featherweight Contenders Dennis Bermudez and Jeremy Stephens

Headlined by a highly anticipated 145-pound title bout between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor, UFC 189 has now added another featherweight contest including Dennis Bermudez and Jeremy Stephens.

The UFC announced the matchup on their website on Monday.

In his most recent outing, Bermudez had a seven-bout winning streak broken by Ricardo Lamas. Had he won that fight, Bermudez would have had a strong case to argue for a shot at the 145-pound championship. However, he'll now have to work his way back up toward another clash with a Top Five featherweight opponent.

With wins in his first three UFC bouts in the 145-pound class, Stephens looked like a potential title threat. However, he has since lost to Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira. So, it's a bit surprising to see Stephens matched up with an opponent like Bermudez, who is so recently removed from such a long winning streak.

Given Stephens' downward momentum, this matchup doesn't make the most sense from a rankings perspective, but it should be an entertaining bout. Between them, Stephens and Bermudez have earned 11 performance bonuses in their UFC careers, making them among the most thrilling competitors to watch in the featherweight division.

Only a few matchups have been booked for UFC 189, including a second championship bout between welterweight titleholder Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, so it's hard to say exactly where Bermudez and Stephens will fit in. However, considering they are both ranked, it's likely the pair will wind up on the main card, but there is a chance they could top the preliminary card.

Scheduled to go down on July 11, UFC 189 will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.