Tony Ferguson won ten UFC fights in a row, capped by submitting Kevin Lee for the interim lightweight title, as then-division champion Conor McGregor was otherwise engaged. At UFC 223 Ferguson was supposed to fight undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov for the full title, as McGregor would be stripped that day. In the end, McGregor stripped himself, and Ferguson suffered a freak leg injury, leaving Nurmagomedov to beat an admirably game Al Iaquinta for the full title.

Ferguson underwent surgery in April, and this week has been hinting a return. Then he started hinting a return at UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor on October 6, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. And now it’s official – the fight will be former division champion Anthony Pettis.

Pettis, who will be joining his brother Sergio on the card, is coming off a performance of the night winning submission vs Michael Chiesa at UFC 226 on July 7. Prior to that Pettis had gone 2-5, moving between featherweight and lightweight.

Given the possibility of a fighter dropping out of the main event, this bout may also serve to ensure that a backup is available, in shape, and weighed in.

UFC 22(
Khabib Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Conor McGregor for the lightweight belt
Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov
Jussier Formiga vs. Sergio Pettis
Dominick Reyes vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Felice Herrig vs. Michelle Waterson
Yana Kunitskaya vs. Lina Lansberg
Sean O’Malley vs. Jose Quinonez
Ryan LaFlare vs. Tony Martin
Scott Holtzman vs. Alan Patrick
Nik Lentz vs. Gray Maynard
Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis