Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Reyes booked for UFC London

The UFC’s first European stop of 2018 is coming together.

On Sunday, officials announced that Germany’s Nasrat Haqparast will fight Alex Reyes in a lightweight bout at UFC London on March 17. It is a welcome booking for both men who are coming off losses in short-notice debuts for the promotion.

Reyes (13-3) found himself on the wrong end of a first-round knockout courtesy of Mike Perry this past September when he stepped in on just three days’ notice for Thiago Alves. That loss snapped a 13-fight win streak for “The Executioner”, who will return to his natural weight class of 155 pounds for this next fight.

Also hoping to get a second chance to make a first impression is Haqparast, a 22-year-old prospect who fights out of Hamburg. Haqparast (8-2) replaced an injured Teemu Packalen on less than two weeks’ notice and subsequently lost a unanimous decision to Marcin Held at UFC Gdansk in October.

UFC Fight Night 127 is scheduled for the O2 Arena in London, England. A main event has yet to be announced.