Former 135-pound champion Cody Garbrandt is expected to get back in action against Raphael Assuncao in a bantamweight showdown currently targeted for a UFC card on June 6.
Multiple sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Saturday with verbal agreements in place for the fight. The June 6 date is tentative for now as the UFC continues to build out its schedule in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic forcing the promotion to postpone or cancel several shows.
In the event that the booking becomes officialconfirmed, Garbrandt and Assuncao will meet after they were originally expected to clash at the UFC on ESPN 8 card from Columbus, Ohio, back in March. On that date, Garbrandt was forced out of the fight due to kidney issues and ultimately the entire card was scrapped due to the pandemic.
Now, the ex-UFC champion is ready to resume his career with a pivotal matchup in the division following back-to-back defeats to T.J. Dillashaw followed by a loss to Pedro Munhoz.
Meanwhile, Assuncao looks for a statement win over Garbrandt as he is also coming off of consecutive losses to Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Moraes.
With the UFC schedule restarting on May 9, Garbrandt and Assuncao are now expected to meet in June, although full details for the upcoming cards haven’t been released by the promotion yet.
