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UFC has officially announced the return of Alexander Gustafsson, as the former Light Heavyweight sensation is set for his grand return to the Octagon for the first time in almost a year.
Upon his return, Gustafsson will be competing in the Heavyweight Division and for his return fight, 'The Mauler' will face Fabricio Werdum in his new weight class on July 25 at a Fight Night event at the UFC Fight Island.
The event will be headlined by Darren Till and Robert Whittaker in an exciting Middleweight clash. The two men were initially set for a showdown in Dublin, Ireland, however, the event was eventually called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC announces the return of Alexander Gustaffson for Fight Island
Alexander Gustafsson last competed in the Octagon almost a year ago at UFC Fight Night 153 when he lost to Anthony Smith, via second-round submission. 'The Mauler', however, is looking forward to a fresh start in the UFC, in a new weight division.
Gustafsson will be facing former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Fabricio Werdum, who in his last fight lost to the veteran Aleksei Oleinik at the UFC 249. UFC took to their social media platforms to officially announce the return of Gustafsson:
The main event will feature Darren Till and Robert Whittaker. The pair was initially set for a clash in Ireland, however, the location has been relocated to the Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Till will be headlined into the fight with a win over Kelvin Gastelum from his last Octagon outing at UFC 244, which was also The Gorilla's debut at Middleweight.
On the other hand, Whittaker will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time since he lost the UFC Middleweight Championship to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243. 'The Reaper' was set for a collision against Jared Cannonier in March but that fight was also called off due to the latter pulling out.
What's the next UFC event?
The UFC will take over the Fight Island next month with four stacked events. However, Octagon action will be restarted this weekend with UFC Vegas 3, which features a Heavyweight main event between Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes.
UFC on ESPN 11 will be taking place at the Apex Center and will also feature the likes of Josh Emmett, Shane Burgos, and Raquel Pennington on the card. As for Fight Island, things will start off with the stacked UFC 251 PPV.
