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Anthony Birchak will make his return to the UFC, last having fought back in July 2016. Birchak comes in as a late replacement for Felipe Colares to take on Gustavo Lopez at UFC Fight Night. Colares tested positive for COVID-19 and swiftly vacated the card. Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira headline the card, and Birchak’s fight is the preliminary card opener for the event.

The news of Anthony Birchak’s return came via Amy Kaplan from Fansided, and multiple sources confirmed the initial report. However, the UFC is yet to provide confirmation for the same. Furthermore, the fight card is expected to have good visibility as it hosts a strong main card. Several fighters on the fight card are knocking on the door of contention, and this makes for a compelling narrative for fans.

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UFC bantamweights: Anthony Birchak vs Gustavo Lopez

Birchak is currently riding a two-fight win streak, coming through major promotions in RIZIN and LFA. His UFC stint left a lot to be desired as he split wins and loses with the company going 2-2. Following his departure, he went on a three-fight skid in RIZIN and things weren’t looking great for ‘El Toro’.

However, he has managed to turn things around as of late and he’s looked impressive in his recent wins. Many fans believe that Anthony Birchak didn’t live up to his early potential and he’ll get a chance to test his metal against a former teammate.

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Gustavo Lopez lost his UFC debut to grappling sensation Merab Dvalishvili back in June. He took the fight on short notice and the loss didn’t affect his stock in the company. He came in off an incredible run in Combate Americas and will be keen to continue his success.

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The UFC’s bantamweight division is bursting at the seams with talent, and the title picture has never looked better. Furthermore, the division has a new champion in Petr Yan who has set the bar increasingly high for contenders. The winner of the aforementioned preliminary card opening bout will certainly bring notice towards themselves in the 135-pounds division.