Longtime UFC veteran Gray Maynard and TUF 22 winner Ryan Hall will collide in a featherweight contest on Dec. 3 at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale. The UFC confirmed the booking Wednesday following an initial report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The announcement marks the latest step at featherweight for Maynard (12-5-1, 1 NC), a former lightweight TUF contestant and two-time title contender who successfully transitioned down in weight with a unanimous decision victory over Fernando Bruno for his 145-pound debut in July.
Prior to that, the 37-year-old Maynard had tasted victory just once in six contests since 2011, a slump punctuated by a four-fight losing streak against the likes of T.J. Grant, Nate Diaz, Ross Pearson, and Alexander Yakovlev.
A veteran of the UFC dating all the way back to TUF 5, Maynard has beaten a who's who at lightweight over the course of his decade-long career. His résumé is highlighted by victories over Diaz, Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, Kenny Florian, Roger Huerta, and Clay Guida.
Maynard will now look to continue his newfound success against Hall (5-1), a decorated jiu-jitsu player who has been sidelined since his TUF 22 win over Conor McGregor teammate Artem Lobov in Dec. 2015.
Using his vaunted leglock arsenal, Hall cruised through the TUF tourney with a pair of first-round heel hooks before losing a majority decision to Saul Rogers in the show's quarterfinals. The 31-year-old ended up being brought back to the finals anyway when visa issues prevented Rogers from traveling to Las Vegas, and Hall made the most of the opportunity, dominating Lobov with his mat wizardry to take the season's crown.
The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale takes place at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defends his title against the TUF 24 tournament winner in the night's main event.