Sean O'Malley-Pedro Munhoz bantamweight showdown likely for UFC 276

Sean O'Malley is set for the toughest test of his promotional tenure to date, as a matchup with Pedro Munhoz is in the works for UFC276.

ESPN was first to report the bantamweight bout, which is expected to be finalized soon. UFC 276 takes place on July 2 as part of International Fight Week and is also expected to include Robbie Lawler vs. Bryan Barberena as well as Miesha Tate vs. Lauren Murphy.

After suffering the first loss of his career to Marlon Vera at UFC 252, O’Malley has rebounded to post KO/TKO triumphs against Thomas Almeida, Kris Mouthinho and Raulian Paiva in his last three promotional appearances. The 27-year-old MMA Lab product is 15-1 over the course of a tenure that began in 2015.

Munhoz has faced far more difficult opposition than his UFC 276 foe. “Young Punisher” enters the matchup having lost four of his last five bouts inside the Octagon, including a decision defeat to Dominick Cruz at UFC 269. Munhoz owns wins over the likes of Jimmie Rivera, Cody Garbrandt, Bryan Caraway and Rob Font in UFC competition.