Joe B is headed back to active MMA competition.
Joseph Benavidez will finally return to action in a few months’ time.
The former UFC flyweight title challenger is set to face Sergio Pettis at UFC 225 this June in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reported the news Monday; the UFC has not yet confirmed the pairing.
Benavidez (25-4) has been sidelined since December 2016, when he bested Henry Cejudo by close decision. He was scheduled to fight Ben Nguyen last June, but he pulled out of the bout due to an ACL tear in his knee.
The former Team Alpha Male product, ranked No. 1 in the 125-pound division despite the layoff, is riding a six-fight winning streak which includes wins over John Moraga and Dustin Ortiz.
Pettis (16-3) is coming off a one-sided loss to Cejudo at UFC 218 late last year in Detroit. That setback snapped a four-fight winning streak for the Roufusport product. Pettis holds a main-event win over Brandon Moreno and a notable victory over Moraga as well.
UFC 225 takes place at United Center on June 9. No main event has been scheduled for the pay-per-view card as of yet. Also announced for the event is a pivotal strawweight bout between top contender Claudia Gadelha and former champ Carla Esparza.