Modestas Bukauskas is back in the UFC.
Bukauskas (13-5), who was briefly released by the promotion and later appeared under the Cage Warriors banner, will make his return at UFC 284 next month, where he faces Tyson Pedro (9-3).
Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Bukauskas, announced the booking on Wednesday.
The Lithuanian-born Brit, known as “The Baltic Gladiator,” went 1-3 inside the octagon from 2020-21, after winning the Cage Warriors light heavyweight championship in 2019. He won that same title again following his UFC release, and has gone 2-0 since his exit from the promotion.
Pedro returned to action in 2022 after a multi-year layoff, winning both of his fights. Most recently, he stopped Harry Hunsucker at UFC 278, setting up the finish with a body kick.
The Australian will be fighting at home at UFC 284, and was originally booked against Zhang Mingyang.
UFC 284 takes place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on February 11, 2023 (Feb. 12 local time). The card is headlined by featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, who will venture north to lightweight, looking to claim a second title against Islam Makhachev.
The following match-ups have been reported for the event so far:
- Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Alexander Volkanovski – for the UFC lightweight championship
- Yair Rodríguez vs. Josh Emmett – for the vacant UFC interim featherweight championship
- Jack Della Maddalena vs. Randy Brown
- Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
- Joshua Culibao vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
- Shannon Ross vs. Kleydson Rodrigues
- Jamie Mullarkey vs. Francisco Prado
- Jack Jenkins vs. Don Shainis
- Junior Tafa vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
- Loma Lookboonmee vs. Elise Reed
- Shane Young vs. Blake Bilder
- Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Elves Brenner
- Tyson Pedro vs. Modestas Bukauskas
