Gilbert Melendez makes his first octagon start since losing in an attempt to win the UFC lightweight championship when he faces Diego Sanchez at UFC 166. The promotion announced the matchup on Thursday night.
The event takes place at the Toyota Center in Houston on Oct. 19.
In his UFC debut, Melendez (21-2) lost to champ Benson Henderson in a split-decision at UFC on FOX 7 in April, a defeat that snapped the former Strikeforce champion’s seven-fight win streak.
Sanchez is coming off a controversial fight with Takanori Gomi at UFC on FUEL 8 in March. According to FightMetric, Sanchez was out-landed 81-68 and according to MMADecisions, all 12 recorded media scores saw the bout for Gomi, but the judges awarded the victory to Sanchez in a split-decision.
The bout was supposed to be Sanchez’s return to lightweight, but the former divisional No. 1 contender missed the mark on the scale, checking in at 158, so the match was officially contested at a catch weight.
UFC 166 is set to feature a heavyweight championship main event with Cain Velasquez attempting to defend the belt against Junior dos Santos.