Joe Proctor will finally make his return to the UFC, taking on former TUF 15 teammate Cristiano Marcello at UFC Fight Night 36 in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil, on Feb. 15.
The UFC confirmed a initial report from Combate on Tuesday.
After a successful debut at TUF 15 Finale, when he scored a knockout win over Jeremy Larsen, Proctor (8-2) suffered a unanimous decision loss to Ramsey Nijem at UFC on FOX 5 on Dec. 8, 2012. Proctor was expected to face Al Iaquinta at UFC 159, but the bout was scrapped when both fighters sustained injuries.
Marcello (13-5), a Pride veteran and a fellow TUF 15 competitor, looks to get back to the win column after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Kazuki Tokudome at UFC on Fuel TV 8 in Japan. Prior to that bout, Marcello went 1-1 with a win over Reza Madadi and a loss to Sam Sicilia.
UFC Fight Night 36 will be headlined by a middleweight contest featuring Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi, and Ronaldo Souza vs. Francis Carmont is set for the co-main event.