Former World Series of Fighting welterweight title challenger Josh Burkman will return to the Octagon early next year to face one of the division’s top contenders.
“The People’s Warrior” returns at UFC 182 on January 3, where he takes on No. 6 ranked welterweight Hector Lombard.
UFC President Dana White broke the news last night:
Burkman, 34, has looked the best he ever has inside the cage dating back to February 2012, winning six of his past seven matchups (five finishes).
The Utah native put the MMA world on notice when he choked the seemingly impossible to submit Jon Fitch unconscious at WSOF 3 last June.
Burkman’s lone setback a midst his recent stretch was a submission loss to Steve Carl at WSOF 6 one year ago – a bout for the inaugural WSOF welterweight title.
The Ultimate Fighter alumnus hasn’t fought since March of this year, where he knocked out Tyler Stinson, largely due to ongoing contract woes with WSOF.
Despite still being within the parameters of a new WSOF contract, Fitch managed to negotiate a new deal with the UFC.
The matchup with Lombard is a of an anomaly, given that the former Bellator middleweight champ has looked like a serious force since dropping down to 170 pounds.
After going just 1-2 in the UFC at middleweight, “Showeather” has dominated Nate Marquardt and Jake Shields.
Lombard also hasn’t competed since March, after an injury kept him out of a UFC Fight Night 48 bout with Dong Hyun Kim last month.