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Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will put an end to his 125-pound experiment and return to the weight class that made him famous when he collides with former “Contender Series” standout Julio Arce as part of the upcoming UFC 285 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., March 4, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

That’s according to Eurosport NL.

At one point Garbrandt (12-5) was considered the best bantamweight in the promotion and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, but a knockout loss to TJ Dillashaw sent the 31 year-old “No Love” into a 1-5 free fall over the last five years. It’s not unrealistic to think his spot on the roster could be in jeopardy with another defeat.

Arce, 33, fell to 18-6 after losing a unanimous decision to Montel Jackson at UFC 281 back in November. Following a promising start to his UFC career — which included back-to-back wins over Dan Ige and Daniel Teymur — the New York native scraped by with a mediocre 3-4 record across his next seven and remains unranked at 135 pounds.

Stopping Garbrandt would certainly be a nice feather in his cap.

UFC 285 does not yet have a headlining act but several bouts are already attached to the March 4 fight card, including the strawweight showdown between Jessica Penne and Tabatha Ricci. In addition, Farid Basharat will collide with Da’Mon Blackshear in a bantamweight affair while Viviane Araujo and Amanda Ribas hook ‘em up at 125 pounds.

Expect more UFC 285 fight card announcements in the coming weeks.

‘Good luck. You’re going to have your hands full, young man.’

Apart from his routine Twitter dealings, Dillon Danis hasn’t been active as a prizefighter since 2018, when he last competed inside the Bellator cage. But after stirring up a beef with YouTuber/rapper KSI, the two are now headlining a boxing match under DAZN PPV on January 14.

Bellator CEO Scott Coker was initially disappointed by the booking of the said bout, stating they ‘wanted to develop’ Danis because ‘he had a lot of potential.’ But during this past weekend’s Bellator 289 post-event presser, Coker showed his full support.

“Dillon wants to go take this boxing fight and I said, ‘Good luck. You’re going to have your hands full, young man,’” Coker said (quotes via MMA Fighting).

Despite nearly three and a half years of inactivity, Coker says Danis (2-0 in MMA) is still part of the Bellator roster. He also agreed to the KSI bout because he refuses to “be that promoter.”

“He’s still under contract, but we’ve been trying to get him to fight for a long time and he saw an opportunity here with KSI so I wish him luck. It’s a good deal for him.

“I don’t want to hold him back and be that promoter, so we said, ‘Go ahead. You guys can work it out’ and we’re going to see what happens in that fight.”

Coker’s statement is likely an indirect jab at UFC president Dana White, who supposedly vetoed a charity boxing match between Georges St-Pierre and Oscar De La Hoya, according to the latter.

KSI vs. Danis takes place at the Wembley Arena in London.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced the return of the PFL Challenger Series featuring competitors in the welterweight division beginning Jan. 27 and streaming every Friday night through March 17 exclusively on Fubo Sports Network. Fighters will be competing for a PFL contract for the 2023 regular season or a potential developmental deal in hopes of joining the roster somewhere down the road.

“Each of the PFL Challenger Series fighters has a unique story our audience cares about,” said Pamela Duckworth, head of Fubo Networks and originals, FuboTV. “Each week, they bring unmatched energy and passion to keep fans tuning in for more. We can’t wait to see what the Welterweights bring to the cage and kick off another PFL Challenger Series on Fubo Sports Network.”

The main event of the 2023 PFL Challenger Series welterweight card will feature Brazilian Jiu Jitsu wunderkind Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa making his “SmartCage” debut against the undefeated Itso Babulaidze. In addition, unbeaten CFFC Welterweight Champion Eric Alequin collides with 4-0 Floridian Thad ”Silverback” Jean. Current Jungle Fights Welterweight Champion Quemuel “Manumito” Ottoni will put his five-fight win streak on the line opposite Jozef Wittner, while judo specialist Mostafa Rashed Neda goes head-to-head against New Hampshire product Nick Alley.

“The 2023 PFL Challenger Series provides world class talent a path to the PFL,” said PFL President of Fighter Operations Ray Sefo. “The Challenger Series continues the PFL’s commitment to finding the best talent in MMA around the world.”

A PFL contract could result in a potential spot in the 2023 welterweight tournament with a grand prize of $1 million to complement a championship title. PFL contract winners will be determined by a judging panel, comprised of combat sports champions and celebrity guests.

For much more on PFL MMA click here.