Diego Sanchez recently announced that he was dropping down to the featherweight division and he will make his 145 pound debut in November at UFC Fight Night 78 against former title challenger Ricardo Lamas.
UFC officials announced the fight booking on Wednesday.
UFC Fight Night 78 will come from the Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico on November 21 and will be headlined by a welterweight bout as Matt Brown faces Kelvin Gastelum.
Sanchez (25-7) has been out of action since last year due to injury and is 2-2 in his last four fights. In his last fight, he won a controversial decision over Ross Pearson and his last eight fights have gone to the decision. Lamas (15-4) has gone 6-2 in the UFC and he is coming off a defeat against former title challenger Chad Mendes. Four of his six wins in the UFC have come by stoppage and two of those wins came in the first round.
The current UFC Fight Night 78: Brown vs. Gastelum fight card is below.
Matt Brown (20-13) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (11-1)
Efrain Escudero (24-9) vs. Leandro Silva (18-2-1, 1NC)
Diego Sanchez (25-7) vs. Ricardo Lamas (15-4)
TBA vs. TBA – TUF Latin America II lightweight final
TBA vs. TBA – TUF Latin America II welterweight final