Brad Riddell will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon against UFC lightweight veteran Drew Dober this summer. 

GIVEMESPORT has confirmed an initial report from MMA Junkie that the 16th and 19th ranked 155-pounders will meet at UFC 263 on June 12.

Dober is coming off a loss to Islam Makhachev while Riddell enters the fight undefeated in the UFC having beaten Alex da Silva in September 2020.

The source has requested anonymity because contracts have not been signed and an official announcement has not been named.

City Kickboxing star Riddell, a teammate of Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Alexander Volkanovski, has been forced to sit on the sidelines for the past seven months after his scheduled bout with Gregor Gillespie was scrapped due to COVID-19 protocols.

While other fighters have jumped on the UFC scene and made an immediate splash, the New Zealander has taken the slow and steady approach to working his way up the rankings towards a title shot. The 29-year-old Riddell is a decorated kickboxer and holds a perfect 3-0 record inside the UFC.

'The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs Team Tate' alumni Dober, meanwhile, last competed at UFC 259 last month, where he was submitted by Makhachev in the third round via arm-triangle choke. He holds notable career wins over Alexander Hernandez, Nasrat Haqparast, and Scott Holtzman.  

UFC 263 will be headlined by a highly-anticipated rematch between UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figuerido and Brandon Moreno at a location to be announced.