Former featherweight champion Jose Aldo will take on Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight fight at UFC 278 on Aug. 20, sources told ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
Aldo, the fourth-ranked bantamweight, was in contention for a title shot against champion Aljamain Sterling after winning his last three bouts. However, Sterling is reportedly fighting former 135-pound king TJ Dillashaw at UFC 279.
The Brazilian lost to Petr Yan in a vacant bantamweight title fight in July 2020, but he rebounded with unanimous decision wins over Rob Font, Pedro Munhoz, and Marlon Vera.
Dvalishvili is riding a seven-fight win streak and sits at No. 6 in the UFC's rankings. He competed twice in 2021, beating Cody Stamann via unanimous decision before earning a TKO win over Marlon Moraes.
The welterweight title fight between champion Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards will headline UFC 278.