Ryan “The Tank Engine” Thomas (13-2) 6’0”/170 lbs. was a former Division I wrestler at Eastern Illinois University who switched to MMA when the program was cut. He made his debut in the Octagon at UFC 87 where he was a late injury replacement against Ben Saunders. Although he lost that fight he more than held his own and now has had three months of training camp to prepare for his next battle against Cincinnati, Ohio based Matt “The Immortal” Brown (10-7) 6’0”/170 lbs. Brown went from season seven of The Ultimate Fighter reality show to UFC fighter with a second round TKO victory over Matt Arroyo at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in June. After a hard fought three round split decision loss to Dong Hyun Kim in September, the talented 27-year old looks to get back on the winning track with a victory against “The Tank Engine.”