Thiago Alves to Meet Newcomer Curtis Millender at UFC Fight Night 126 in Austin

Thiago Alves will welcome Curtis Millender to the Octagon in a welterweight contest at UFC Fight Night 126.

The Las Vegas-based promotion recently confirmed the pairing. UFC Fight Night 126 takes place at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin on Feb. 18 and is headlined by a 170-pound tilt pitting Donald Cerrone against Yancy Medeiros. The card airs on Fox Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Alves was supposed to compete against Zak Cummings at UFC Fight Night 124 in St. Louis on Jan. 14 but that bout was scrapped when Cummings suffered a last-minute injury. The former welterweight title challenger last appeared at UFC 210, where he halted a two-bout skid with a decision triumph against Patrick Cote.

Millender enters his promotional debut on a six-fight winning streak. The four-time Bellator MMA veteran has made a name for himself under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, scoring back-to-back head kick knockouts of Nick Barnes and Matthew Frincu in his last two appearances.