Matt Brown returns against Ben Saunders at UFC 245 in December

Matt Brown will make his return to action at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 when he faces Ben Saunders in a welterweight showdown in Las Vegas.

Sources close to the contest confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Friday following an initial report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Brown last fought in 2017 when he demolished Diego Sanchez with a brutal first round knockout in what he had initially teased as his retirement bout. The Ohio native opted to continue fighting and he was then scheduled to meet former interim champion Carlos Condit but he suffered a torn ACL in his knee that required surgery.

Now healthy and running his own facility in Columbus, OH, Brown is ready to return as he faces another welterweight veteran in December.

Saunders will look to stop the bleeding on a three-fight losing streak that stands as the longest of his career.

The former American Top Team fighter most recently competed in April when he suffered a second-round knockout courtesy of Takashi Sato. Saunders will look to get back on track following his last win in 2018 when he finished Jake Ellenberger less than two minutes into the opening round.

Brown vs. Saunders joins a growing UFC 245 card including a title fight between reigning bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie.