Joe Lauzon and Sam Stout have agreed to face off in a lightweight contest at UFC 108 on Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

MMAMania.com was the first to report the matchup Monday, and Lauzon confirmed to Sherdog.com that he’d signed and returned his bout agreement to the promotion on Tuesday.

Stout earned a unanimous decision against Matt Wiman at UFC 97 last April in Montreal, but was sent to the sidelines after opponent Phillipe Nover collapsed backstage hours before their bout at UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Lauzon returns to the Octagon after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus on March 8. Prior to the surgery, the 25-year-old had reeled off two straight victories against Kyle Bradley at UFC Fight Night 15 in September 2008 and Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 17 last February.

“I’m very happy with this fight,” Lauzon told Sherdog.com Tuesday. “Sam is very tough and has a great stand-up game. His wrestling and ground game have jumped with every fight and I expect nothing less from him in this one.”