Ultimate Fighting Championship

Report: UFC targeting Rashad Evans vs Daniel Kelly at UFC 209

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:21 p.m. ET

Fansided, Mike Pendleton/Fansided

The UFC is reportedly working on booking Rashad Evans vs Daniel Kelly in a middleweight fight that would take place at UFC 209.

The third time may be the charm for Rashad Evans and his middleweight debut. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has failed in his two previous attempts to make his middleweight debut after he was pulled from both the UFC 205 and 206 cards due to an undisclosed medical reason.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is reporting that while nothing is official as of yet, the UFC is targeting Rashad Evans vs Daniel Kelly that would take place at UFC 209 on March 4, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Evans had been scheduled to fight Tim Kennedy at UFC 205 and was removed from the card when he did not pass his physical. The UFC tried to rebook the fight at UFC 206 but Evans was unable to pass his physical in Toronto as well.

The fight will be Evans’ first at middleweight after he compiled a 14-5-1 record in the UFC light heavyweight division where he is also the former champion. With injuries derailing him and going 3-4 in his last seven fights, Evans said the move to middleweight was like a fresh start for him in his career.

Daniel Kelly is 5-1 in his UFC career and currently on a three-fight win streak which includes his most recent win, a victory over Chris Camozzi at UFC Fight Night 101.

UFC 209 is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 4 and will feature two title fights. The main event will be a rematch for the welterweight title between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson after the two fought to a draw at UFC 205. In the co-main event Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title.

Here are the fights that have been set for UFC 209 so far: