The UFC will return to Denver on Jan. 28, and the promotion has officially added a pair of fights to the UFC on FOX 23 event.
Winless since March 2014, Hector Lombard is set to take on Brad Tavares in a middleweight bout at the Pepsi Center. The second fight recently announced features lightweights Jason Gonzalez and JC Cottrell.
Lombard (34-6-1, 2 NC) returned to the middleweight division in June, but lost by knockout to Dan Henderson. The American Top Team fighter moved back to 185 pounds after going 2-1 with one no contest as a welterweight in the UFC.
Tavares (14-4), who saw himself close to the top of the division after winning five in a row between 2012 and 2014, enters the fight coming off a split-decision win over Caio Magalhaes, moving to 2-3 in his past five bouts.
Gonzalez (10-3) competed at the 22nd second of The Ultimate Fighter in 2015, but only earned a shot in the Octagon after winning a fight at RFA fight after the reality show. The 26-year-old lightweight tries to win his first official bout in the UFC after losing to Drew Dober at UFC 203.
Cottrell (17-4) also returns to action following a loss in his promotional debut. “Superstar” had a six-fight winning streak – fighting for promotions like Bellator and Legacy FC – snapped by Michel Prazeres at UFC on FOX 20 in July.