Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will face Brian Kelleher at UFC 296 on December 16th, as both fighters look to bounce back from recent losses.
Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is set to make his comeback as he will go head-to-head with Brian Kelleher at UFC 296 on December 16th. This exciting matchup is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The news was confirmed by multiple insiders within the promotion, with Marcel Dorff breaking the story on Twitter.
Originally slated to fight at UFC 292 in August, Garbrandt was unfortunately forced to withdraw due to an injury. However, he now has his sights set on UFC 296, where he will aim to build on his recent victory over Trevin Jones. After a brief stint at bantamweight, Garbrandt emerged triumphant in the 135-pound division.
Meanwhile, Brian Kelleher, a seasoned 37-year-old fighter, is desperate to get back on the winning track. He faced consecutive losses in his most recent performances, first against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 272, followed by a defeat against Mario Bautista in June 2022. Kelleher was previously expected to return at UFC Vegas 72, but concerns regarding a neck injury forced him out of the card. However, he has now made a full recovery and is ready to step back into the Octagon to collide with Garbrandt in December.
The Garbrandt vs. Kelleher clash will be part of a stacked card at UFC 296, headlined by two title fights. Leon Edwards will take on Colby Covington in the welterweight main event, while Alexandre Pantoja squares off against Brandon Royval in the flyweight co-main event. Excitement is brewing as fight fans eagerly await this action-packed evening of MMA competition.