The UFC has added a light heavyweight matchup between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev to its final pay-per-view of 2022, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The 205-pound contest will take place at UFC 282 on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.
Blachowicz (29-9) will look to solidify his case for another light heavyweight title shot. The 39-year-old surrendered his title to Glover Teixeira in a submission loss in 2021, following one successful defense against middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
Since losing the belt, the Polish light heavyweight has recorded one TKO win against Aleksandar Rakic in May.
Ankalaev (18-1), of Russia, is a surging contender in the division. After losing his UFC debut to Paul Craig, he has won nine consecutive bouts, including his three against former title challengers Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Volkan Oezdemir.
The winner of this fight could very well be next in line for a title shot. Current champion Jiri Prochazka is expected to defend his title against Teixeira in an immediate rematch next, at a date to be announced.
The UFC has not yet announced a main event for UFC 282, which will take place at T-Mobile Arena.
