A bantamweight clash pitting Cody Garbrandt and Raphael Assuncao is in the works for a UFC card on June 6, according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
Garbrandt and Assuncao were originally slated to meet at UFC on ESPN 8 in Columbus, Ohio, on March 28, but “No Love” was forced to withdraw from the bout due to kidney issues. The coronavirus pandemic would ultimately force the cancellation of the entire card.
The location and venue for the June 6 event are currently unknown. The card could be the promotion’s next pay-per-view following UFC 249 on May 9, but the upcoming schedule is still tentative.
Garbrandt enters the matchup on a three-bout skid in which he was finished by knockout or technical knockout in each appearance. Most recently, the former bantamweight champion was stopped by Pedro Munhoz 4:51 into the opening stanza at UFC 235 in March 2019. “No Love” hasn’t tasted victory since taking a five-round verdict over Dominick Cruz in a title bout at UFC 207.
Assuncao, meanwhile, will look to snap a two-fight losing streak after falling to Marlon Moraes and Cory Sandhagen in successive appearances in 2019. Prior to that, the 37-year-old Brazilian won 11 of 12 UFC bouts from August 2011 to July 2018 to establish himself as one of the top contenders in the bantamweight division.