A new fight is in the works for UFC 209 in September as knockout artist Jeremy Stephens is expected to welcome two-time title contender Gilbert Melendez to the featherweight division on Sept. 9.
Sources close to the contest confirmed that the new fight is verbally agreed for the upcoming card in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
BREAKING: Jeremy Stephens vs. Gilbert Melendez at featherweight in the works for UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Sept 9. #UFC
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) July 3, 2017
Melendez (22-6) just recently teased his return to action with a post on Twitter as he looks to get back into the Octagon for the first time since July 2016.
Fight news coming soon. El Niño is back!
A former Strikeforce lightweight champion, Melendez will actually move down to 145-pounds for the first time after hinting at a divisional change last year.
Stephens (25-14) will look to give Melendez a rude welcome to the featherweight division while seeking another signature knockout at the same time.
Stephens is best known for his vicious finishing power but Melendez has never been knocked out so it certainly presents an interesting stylistic matchup for the card in Canada.
Expect more fights to be announced for the UFC 209 card in the coming weeks including a main event still to be determined.
