Longtime lightweight Gilbert Melendez will drop to featherweight in September, when he takes on Jeremy Stephens at UFC 215 in Edmonton.
UFC officials announced the 145-pound bout Thursday. The pay-per-view event is scheduled for Sept. 9 at Rogers Arena.
A former Strikeforce champion, Melendez (22-6) hasn't fought at featherweight since the earliest stages of his 15-year career.
The San Francisco-based veteran is looking to snap a career-worst three-fight skid. Since 2013, Melendez is 1-4 and has served a one-year suspension for a failed drug test.
Stephens (25-14) is also looking to right the ship, as he's dropped five of his last seven. A key victory over former bantamweight champion Renan Barao provided a big lift in May 2016, but he's gone 0-2 since.
Fighting out of San Diego, Stephens is also a former lightweight. He dropped to the 145-pound weight class in 2013.
The UFC has not yet announced a main event for UFC 215.
