Bryan Battle has booked his first fight since his UFC release.
Battle was cut by the UFC after failing to make weight for his middleweight showdown with Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC 319 earlier this month. The North Carolina fighter came in four pounds over the 186-pound limit, leading to the bout being canceled.
However, just last week, “The Butcher” signed with Dirty Boxing, the hybrid combat sports promotion co-owned by Mike Perry and Jon Jones, and is set to make his promotional debut at DBX 3 on August 29 at The Hangar in Miami, Florida. On Monday, it was confirmed that Battle will face Derik de Freitas in a middleweight bout.
DBX 3 will be headlined by the inaugural heavyweight title clash between former UFC contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Rakim Cleveland. The card also features former UFC women’s bantamweight Jessica-Rose Clark taking on Claudia Zamora.
How Do Bryan Battle And Derik de Freitas’ Records Stack Up?
Bryan Battle enters Dirty Boxing boasting a professional MMA record of 13-2 with 1 no contest. "The Butcher" was last seen in action at UFC 310 in December 2024, where he narrowly defeated Randy Brown via split decision.
Battle wrapped up his UFC run with a 7-1 record and 1 no contest, featuring five stoppage wins and earning two Performance of the Night bonuses along the way.
Meanwhile, Derik de Freitas steps into Dirty Boxing following a two-fight losing skid. His most recent victory came in November 2023, when he submitted Marcos Oliveira in the first round under the Avalanche Fight Championship banner. The 34-year-old Brazilian holds a professional MMA record of 3-9.
