Luke Rockhold to headline UFC Melbourne
Redemption will be firmly on Luke Rockhold's mind when the former middleweight champion headlines UFC Melbourne in November.
The American will fight 36-year-old Brazilian Jacare Souza at Rod Laver Arena with the winner likely to earn a title shot.
And that may well be against Rockhold's conqueror back in June, Michael Bisping.
The Englishman knocked out Rockhold with a flurry of punches in UFC 199 to claim the title and will now face American Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in Manchester next month.
The November 27 card in Australia comes a year after the last Melbourne event where Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey to claim the women's bantamweight title.
For Rockhold, 31, it's another visit to Australia.
In 2014 he fought Bisping in Sydney and tapped out the man who eventually conquered him for the middleweight title.
The victory was the third in a five-fight win streak that also saw him defeat Lyoto Machida before taking the title from the then undefeated Chris Weidman.
Rockhold, who hasn't fought since the Bisping beating in Las Vegas, downed Souza in a five-round pre-UFC epic back in 2011.
The tight victory earned him the Strikeforce middleweight title.
Souza, 36, is 6-1 since joining the UFC, with the only loss coming in a split decision to Cuban Yoel Romero.
Souza has submitted three of his opponents since arriving in the UFC which should make for a nice mesh of styles with Rockhold who is known for his stand-up fighting.
The UFC's middleweight division is currently one of the most competitive in the sport and also contains seventh-ranked Australian Rob Whittaker, who is riding a five-fight win streak and has designs on a title shot.
