The UFC has rebooked a middleweight main event between Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland for Dec. 17.
The 185-pound contest was originally supposed to headline a UFC Fight Night on Oct. 15 in Las Vegas, but Strickland was forced to pull out of that date because of finger surgery. UFC officials confirmed the new date on Thursday. The event is expected to take place at the UFC’s Apex facility in Vegas.
Cannonier (15-6) will make his first appearance since a failed title bid against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 in July. The 38-year-old lost that five-round fight via unanimous decision. Prior to the loss, Cannonier had won five of his past six. Originally from Alaska, he trains out of Glendale, Arizona.
Strickland (15-4) is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Alex Pereira, in a matchup that also took place on UFC 276. A former welterweight, Strickland is 5-1 since moving up a weight class to 185 pounds. He trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.
Cannonier and Strickland are ranked No. 2 and No. 7 at middleweight, respectively, according to the UFC’s rankings.