UFC female bantamweight Julianna Pena will return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly 17 months when she meets Milana Dudieva at a UFC Fight Night on April 4.
UFC officials confirmed the 135-pound matchup to ESPN.com on Tuesday. The televised event will take place at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
Pena (5-2) is one of the most promising bantamweights in the sport, but she has not fought since November 2013 due to a severe knee injury. The 25-year-old tore every ligament in her knee during a training accident in January 2014 and was initially told she could miss as much as two years.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 18 reality series, Pena's rehab progressed ahead of schedule and she was cleared to resume light training midway through last year.
Dudieva (11-3) is 1-0 in the UFC, following a split decision against Elizabeth Phillips at a UFC Fight Night in August. The Russian bantamweight will carry a three-fight winning streak into the contest against Pena. She has nine finishes in 11 career wins.
A non-title featherweight fight between Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas will headline the UFC Fight Night event.
