Ilir Latifi appears to be making a return to the heavyweight division to meet Derrick Lewis.
ESPN reports that Lewis vs. Latifi is close to being finalized for a Feb. 8 event. A venue and location have not been determined. The report notes that Houston, Texas is in consideration.
Lewis competed earlier this month. He defeated Blagoy Ivanov on the main card of UFC 244 via split decision. As for Latifi, he’s coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his pro MMA career. He was knocked out by Volkan Oezdemir in his last outing and was defeated by Corey Anderson in the bout prior.
Latifi has always competed as a light heavyweight under the UFC banner. He’s not exactly a stranger to the heavyweight division as he’s competed at that weight class on the regional circuit. Still, he’s fought at 205 pounds for most of his fighting career.
MMA News will have more details surrounding the UFC’s planned Feb. 8 event as they become available. Rumors have been swirling of a possible pay-per-view headlined by UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones taking on Dominick Reyes. Nothing has been confirmed at this time, but we’ll be sure to bring you the latest word.
