Luque-Garry joins loaded UFC 296 lineup

An intriguing matchup between Vicente Luque and Ian Machado Garry has been added to UFC 296, which takes place Dec. 16 in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White announced Sunday morning.

Luque and Garry, the Nos. 10- and 11-ranked welterweight contenders, have recently trained together at Kill Cliff FC in Florida.

Luque is coming off a unanimous decision win over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in August. The 31-year-old, competing for the first time since suffering a brain bleed connected to a 2022 knockout loss against Geoff Neal, snapped a two-fight skid with the victory.

Garry is one of the most promising up-and-comers in the 170-pound division. He earned the biggest win of his career in August, dominating Neil Magny at UFC 292. Garry, from Ireland, is 6-0 in the UFC with three knockout finishes.

A welterweight title fight between champion Leon Edwards and Colby Covington is scheduled to headline UFC 296. Alexandre Pantoja will defend the flyweight belt against Brandon Royval in the co-main event. Additionally, Paddy Pimblett will take on Tony Ferguson, and Stephen Thompson will face Shavkat Rakhmonov.