Aljamain Sterling to Face Rani Yahya at UFC Fight Night 123 in Fresno on Dec. 9

Aljamain Sterling will lock horns with Rani Yahya in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 123, promotion officials announced Wednesday.

UFC Fight Night 123 takes place at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Dec. 9 and is headlined by a featherweight tilt between Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega. The evening’s main card will be televised on Fox Sports 1.

Sterling began his professional tenure with 12 straight victories, including four in the UFC. The Serra-Longo Fight Team representative’s rise to stardom hit a speed bump following back-to-back split-decision losses to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assuncao, but he has since rebounded with wins over Augusto Mendes and Renan Barao in his last two outings.

Yahya, meanwhile, has won five of his last six Octagon appearances. The grappling specialist is coming off a first-round submission of Enrique Briones at UFC Fight Night 114. Yahya is 9-3 with one no contest during his UFC tenure.