Matt Brown gets hometown fight against Bryan Barberena at UFC Columbus in March

Matt Brown gets the opportunity to fight at home when he faces Bryan Barberena at the upcoming UFC Fight Night card in Columbus, Ohio, on March 26.

Multiple sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Thursday.

Born and raised in Ohio, Brown currently operates his own gym — Immortal Martial Arts — in Columbus and he had been calling for a chance to fight on the upcoming card ever since his previous booking against Barberena was scrapped after Brown contracted COVID-19.

Now recovered, Brown was anxiously awaiting word on a fight in Ohio and now it appears his wish has been granted as one of the UFC’s all-time leaders in knockouts prepares for for a March return.

Brown is coming off of a huge knockout win over Dhiego Lima that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus this past June.

As for Barberena, he’ll look to build on his win against Darian Weeks, who replaced Brown at their previously scheduled encounter back in December. Barberena has gone 2-1 in his past three fights, including a win over Anthony Ivy in 2020.

Brown vs. Barberena joins a lineup that includes the main event, which pits former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz against Aleksandar Rakic in a five-round headliner with the winner likely remaining in the thick of title contention.