Lyoto Machida’s UFC Return Set For Brazil

A decorated former UFC champion is reportedly returning to the octagon this fall.

After serving an 18-month United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension for using the prohibited substance 7-Keto due to it including DHEA, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida will return to action against No. 7 Derek Brunson at October 28’s UFC Fight Night 119 from Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, according to a report from Combate (via MMA Mania).

Machida was last seen losing his previous bout to recent interim title contender Yoel Romero via vicious second-round stoppage at June 2015’s UFC Fight Night 70. The loss marked his second in a row after he was brutally submitted by Luke Rockhold in April 2015. Machida was then set to take on MMA legend Dan Henderson in a rematch of their UFC 157 snoozer at UFC on FOX 16 in April 2016, but his admittance to using 7-Keto forced the bout to be canceled.

Despite the recent downswing against the absolute top of the talented UFC middleweight division, Machida maintains a 22-9 record in MMA with nine of those wins coming by knockout.

He’ll meet another contender looking to fight his way up the ranks in Brunson, a pressuring knockout artist who recently got back on track with a massive knockout of the previously surging Daniel Kelly at this June’s UFC Fight Night 110. Prior to that, Brunson dropped a highly controversial decision to all-time legend Anderson Silva at February’s UFC 208 after getting knocked out by current interim champ Robert Whittaker last November.

UFC Fight Night 119 also features a pivotal light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira and Misha Cirkunov, both fighters in need of a big win after recent losses.