Next month’s UFC on FUEL TV 1 event has a new addition to the lineup.

UFC officials today announced that lightweight newcomers Justin Salas (9-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Anton Kuivanen (16-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will meet at the Feb. 15 event.

Originally, officials expected to book Kuivanen against fellow newcomer C.J. Keith (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), but he was forced off the card due to a family emergency.

UFC on FUEL TV 1 takes place Feb. 15 at the 10,000-seat Omaha Civic Auditorium in Nebraska. Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger clash in the welterweight headliner. The main card airs on FUEL TV, and as MMAjunkie.com(www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported, the prelims will stream on Facebook.

Salas, a former trona miner featured in our “Fight Path” series, was a standout high school wrestling career and Division I college wrestler who made his pro MMA debut in 2006. He’s currently riding a five-fight win streak, which included recent decision wins over UFC vet Rob Emerson and Bellator fighter Joe Ellenberger.

He now meets Kuivanen, a Finnish fighter who’s won nine straight fights and 12 of his past 13 fight. A veteran of promotions such as K-1 HERO’S and Fight Festival, the six-year pro has a solid grappling base with that’s led him to eight submission wins in 16 career victories.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Duane “Bang” Ludwig has traveled the world, chased titles, met the woman of his dreams, had kids and finally got a long-awaited UFC record he’ll someday get to tell his grandchildren about.

So for the veteran fighter, Friday’s UFC on FX 1 co-main-event slot instead offers something else.

A chance for self-discovery. And yes, some fun.

Ludwig (21-11 MMA, 4-2 UFC), a 33-year-old who’s been fighting professionally for 12 years, meets fellow welterweight Josh Neer (32-10-1 MMA, 5-6 UFC) in the co-main-event of Friday’s event, which takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The main card airs on FX while prelims air on FUEL TV.

While lacking some of the starpower of bigger UFC shows – and with a half-dozen fighters competing in the UFC for the first time – UFC on FX 1′s expectations are modest. But the co-headliner provides two proven names in a fight that should produce fireworks.

“I want to make sure to show my technical superiority and hit some angles and not just sit there and slug,” Ludwig told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “We’ll see what happens. Like Mike Tyson said, you always have a game plan until you get hit, and I don’t want to get hit. I’ll get upset, I’ll pull the parking brake and start chucking bombs.”

Against the tough-as-nails Neer, Ludwig knows he can’t get caught up in a sloppy volley of haymakers. But if he maintains his composure, it could be a “Fight of the Night” winner. That’s why he was quite pleased when the UFC presented him the fight.

“I thought it was great,” he said. “I thought it’d be a good matchup for sure. He likes to stand and bang, and he’s a standup fighter as well. I think it’ll make for an exciting fight. I’m up for that. I’m always down for a good war.”

Whether it’s his age or his family or his status as an early trailblazer for the sport, Ludwig has found peace in recent years. Rather than the million-dollar paydays or blue-chip sponsors and big-show belts, he’s focused on something else.

“I’m here to have fun,” he said. “I’ve chased the titles and done that. It’s about the passion and self development and finding out who Duane Ludwig is. I find it out every time I train and fight, and go through these interviews and stuff.”

Recently, Ludwig has been doing a lot more interviews. That’s due to the UFC’s decision to recognize him as the record-holder for the fastest knock in the promotion’s history. Even if the Nevada State Athletic Commission claims Todd Duffee and Chan Sung Jung’s seven-second KOs have the honor (a time-keeping error has Ludwig’s six-second KO recorded at 11 seconds), the UFC’s blessing actually provided Ludwig a boost.

When he was younger, “Bang” said he didn’t understand publicity and marketing. He didn’t realize something as seemingly innocuous as getting stiffed in the record books could actually hurt his bottomline. But now that he’s older and has the record, he’s determined to use it for good.

“I get a lot more press, which is cool because I like the press and the fame and the whole popularity contest of it because it opens a lot more doors for me, and in return, I help some people out and help out abused animals,” said the fighter, who’s worked with abused and neglected dogs. “In that aspect, it’s important for me and definitely a good story to tell the kids when they’re older.”

And admittedly, it always irked him a bit. Sure, he’s at peace, but little things have a way of eating at you. So as he prepares for his first fight as a UFC record-holder, he can put to bed that constant aggravation.

“It became a little bit infuriating,” he said of the record. “It’s like telling someone the American flag is red, white and blue, and then someone’s like, ‘It’s red, white and purple.’ When it’s so blatantly obvious, it can be a little infuriating.”

For more on the UFC on FX 1 event, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

Five years ago, Justin Salas (10-3) was slaving away in the trona mines of his hometown in Green River, Wyoming without any thoughts of a career in fighting. His only connection to mixed martial arts was a heralded high school wrestling career that bloomed into a spot on the University of Wyoming wrestling squad. Naturally, one would expect the transition to the sport to be seamless, but Salas’ entry took a more indirect route.

According to MMAJunkie.com’s Kyle Nagel, Salas’ introduction stemmed from a favor to an old friend:

“He (an old wrestling buddy) said, ‘I’m supposed to do this fight, but my wife’s about ready to have a kid and I don’t wanna leave the guy high and dry,’” Salas told MMAjunkie.com(www.mmajunkie.com). “I asked if it was pro or amateur, and he asked which I wanted. I said, ‘Do I get paid?’ He said, ‘If it’s a pro fight, you get paid.’

“So, I got a week-and-a-half notice before becoming a professional fighter.”

With no training beyond his standout high school wrestling career and Division I college experience in the sport, Salas competed well but was beaten by an armbar submission.

Salas has since recorded nine wins, his latest being an upset decision win over skilled wrestler Joe Ellenberger, the brother of UFC fighter Jake Ellenberger, at Victory Fighting Championships 36 in October. The victory was preceded by an unanimous decision over UFC veteran Rob Emerson nine months prior, making 2011 the best year of his five-year professional career.

Salas’ success is rooted in his wrestling skills. He specializes in ripping opponents off the cage with single and double leg takedowns from the clinch, and he’s proficient in producing offense by way of strikes or submissions on the ground.

On the feet, Salas is no slouch, utilizing a southpaw stance and possessing the know-how to throw basic combinations. He isn’t an advanced striker by any means, but his striking is good enough to compliment his grappling skills.

Combined with solid takedown defense and abundant cardio, Salas is one of the most versatile competitors on our countdown. From a technical standpoint, there are improvements to be made in both his stand-up and grappling acts, but training at the Grudge Training Center in Colorado with the likes of UFC veteransNate Marquardt, Duane Ludwig, Shane Carwin, and the enormous roster of fighters the facility houses should help him fine tune those areas. With a strong support system and an extensive background in wrestling, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Salas is close to making a splash on a larger platform.