A bantamweight matchup between two ranked contenders is in the works for the UFC’s return to Ohio in March.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is targeting a return to action against Raphael Assuncao at UFC Columbus on March 28.
Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the targeted booking following a report from ESPN.com, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
UFC Columbus takes place at Nationwide Arena. Broadcast plans for the card are still unknown.
When Garbrandt (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) steps into the cage, it will be more than a year since his previous outing. After losing back-to-back fights against rival and former teammate T.J. Dillashsaw, Garbrandt took on Pedro Munhoz at UFC 235 in March.
While he had some success early, Garbrandt later admitted his overzealous fighting style proved to be his undoing once again. Aggressively charging at Munhoz, Garbrandt was caught and finished with punches in Round 1.
As for Assuncao (27-7 MMA, 11-3 UFC), the 37-year-old Brazilian is coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time since 2010. His most recent defeat came at UFC 241 in August, when he dropped a three-round decision to rising contender Cory Sandhagen.
The latest UFC Columbus lineup now includes:
- Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
