Kiwi women want on UFC card

The UFC have said they want a women's bout on next month's Auckland card and they may need to look no further than New Zealand's top two female mixed martial artists.

Faith Van Duin and Kate Da Silva have both confirmed they want to be in the cage at Vector Arena on June 28 and the pair have said they're more than happy to have a rematch to make it a possibility.

Van Duin (4-0) delivered Da Silva (7-1) the only loss of her professional career when she forced the 31-year-old to tap out at the Storm Damage 3 event in Canberra last year.

The bout was contested at featherweight (65.8kgs/145 pounds) but Da Silva's natural fighting weight is bantamweight (61.2kgs/135 pounds).

Van Duin stands 1.78m so featherweight is a class she is more comfortable at but said she would cut the required kilos to get to bantamweight if it meant getting an opportunity on the UFC card or they could agree on a catchweight in the middle.

The 1.68m Da Silva featured in the first professional women's MMA bout in New Zealand when she defeated Palmerston North's Tash Chambers at the SCF 4 fight night in Auckland in 2009.

Da Silva, who trains in Kawerau under her husband Roney, said a match-up with Van Duin would suit her.

"I really want to. I've already challenged her, she doesn't want it,'' Da Silva said.

But the 27-year-old Van Duin stressed that wasn't the case and said despite not having fought since last August she would get in the octagon with anyone.

"I'd love to be on the card. I don't mind who I get. I'd like to get a pro fighter that would test me but I'm willing to take anyone. If they want me to fight Kate, I'll be happy to do it. I'm not really worried.''

Da Silva, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has worked on her stand-up in recent times, which was a perceived weakness of hers.

Papamoa's Van Duin is contracted to women's promotion Invicta Fighting Championships but it's understood they won't stand in her way if she is offered a spot on the UFC card.

UFC Fight Night Auckland: Te Huna v Marquardt, which features a middleweight bout between Kiwi James Te Huna and American Nate Marquardt as the main event, marks the first time the UFC have come to New Zealand.

An additional five fights were added to the card last week and Tom Wright, director of operations for Canada, Australia and New Zealand for the UFC, said a further five to seven would be added shortly, including a women's contest.

Auckland lightweight Dan 'The Hangman' Hooker, undefeated in his past five bouts, is understood to be on the verge of securing a fight too.