Julianna Pena will finally step foot in the Octagon after suffering a potential career-ending knee injury in January 2014, which included a torn ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus, against Milana Dudieva in April.
UFC officials confirmed the matchup on Tuesday following an initial report by ESPN.com.
Julianna Pena makes return at UFC Fight Night 63 against Milana Dudieva
Pena (6-2) became the first ever women’s The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner in November 2013, when she was crowned the TUF 18 champ with a first-round TKO over Jessica Rakoczy. Her successful TUF stint included a stoppage win over Ronda Rousey’s No. 1 pick and current UFC fighter, Shayna Baszler.
Dudieva (11-3) came into the UFC riding a two-fight winning streak. She made her promotional debut in August, and took home a controversial split-decision win over Elizabeth Phillips.
The card placement for the bout is unknown at this time.
UFC Fight Night 63 takes place live from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA on April 4. In the main event, featherweight contender Chad Mendes takes on Ricardo Lamas. In the co-feature, former titleholder Benson Henderson takes on surging lightweight Jorge Masvidal.
