Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is set to return at the UFC’s first domestic pay-per-view event of 2023.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that a matchup between Garbrandt and Juilo Arce is set for UFC 285, which takes place March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will serve as the first of two pay-per-views for the UFC in March. EuroSport first reported the booking.
Garbrandt is looking to rebound after dropping five of six previous fights. He also lost a drop to flyweight in UFC December , where he was defeated by Kai Kara-France via TKO. “No Love” finished Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250 in June 2020 for his most recent win, and prior to that, Garbrandt hadn’t won a bout since capturing the bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz nearly four years earlier.
Arce is 2-2 since making the move to the UFC bantamweight division, which includes a TKO finish of Andre Ewell at UFC Vegas 32 in July 2021, along with a unanimous decision win against Daniel Santos at UFC 273 in April. Arce lost to Montel Jackson in UFC in November.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/14/23508921/cody-garbrandt-vs-julio-arce-on-tap-for-ufc-285?rand=96749
