UFC featherweights Yadier del Valle and Ezra Elliott are set to compete at UFC Fight Night 297 on Jan. 23 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
The matchup was confirmed by two people with knowledge of the booking who requested anonymity because the promotion has not yet issued an official announcement, according to Yahoo Sports.
The bout is also listed as part of the upcoming fight card, as noted by MMA Junkie.
Del Valle, holding an 11-1 record, began his UFC career with consecutive submission victories against Connor Matthews and Isaac Dulgarian.
After suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jordan Leavitt, he rebounded in his most recent appearance with a 35-second knockout of Darren Elkins.
Elliott, who remains undefeated at 8-0, made his promotional debut in July on short notice.
He secured a unanimous decision victory over fellow newcomer Damien Anderson during that initial outing.
However, the debut was not without complications, as the fighter missed the weight limit by 1.5 pounds.
Now training with a full camp, the athlete aims to demonstrate the same level of dominance that earned him recognition on the regional circuit, according to reports from MMA Junkie.
Elliott currently splits his professional training time between the MMA LAB and Red Hawk Academy.
The event, which serves as the first Las Vegas card for the promotion in 2027, also features a matchup between Vinicius Oliveira and Pat Sabatini.
The addition of the featherweight contest bolsters the scheduled lineup for the January event at the Meta APEX.
As the date approaches, fans and analysts alike are watching to see how both rising prospects handle the pressure of this high-stakes encounter.
Neither fighter has commented publicly on the pending matchup as of the latest reports from the cited outlets.
The promotion is expected to finalize all bouts and release a formal announcement in the coming weeks.