Sara McMann returns from 23-month layoff against Lina Lansberg at UFC Raleigh

If all goes according to plan, Sara McMann will soon engage in her first fight in almost two years.

Former UFC bantamweight title contender and Olympic wrestling silver medalist McMann (11-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) returns to action at UFC Raleigh on Jan. 25 against Lina Lansberg, the promotion announced in a tweet Wednesday.

UFC Raleigh will take place at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., and is expected to stream on ESPN+.

McMann, 39, last competed at UFC on FOX 28 in February 2018. Taking on Marion Reneau, former Olympic medalist McMann dropped her second straight fight. McMann was booked to take on Nicco Montano at UFC on ESPN+ 13, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Prior to losses against Reneau and Ketlen Vieira, McMann had won four straight bouts.

Perhaps McMann’s most notable fight came at UFC 170 in February 2014 when she faced Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title. McMann, like Rousey’s prior eight opponents, fell victim to the then-champion’s finishing abilities.

Lansberg (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) entered the national spotlight when she took on Cris Cyborg in her UFC debut in September 2016. While she lost the bout by second-round TKO, Lansberg’s durability and toughness were put on full display.

Since her promotional debut, Lansberg has picked up three victories. The Swedish fighter is coming off of back-to-back victories over Macy Chiasson and former featherweight title challenger Tonya Evinger.

The latest lineup for the Jan. 25 fight card includes:

Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos
Frankie Edgar vs. Cory Sandhagen
Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilova
Alen Amedovski vs. Bevon Lewis
Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stosic
Felipe Colares vs. Montel Jackson
Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr
Tony Gravely vs. Brett Johns
Lina Lansberg vs. Sara McMann