TUF 31 lightweight winner Kurt Holobaugh returns vs. Trey Ogden

Kurt Holobaugh has his first UFC assignment as an official TUF winner.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” lightweight winner, Holobaugh (20-7 MMA, 1-4 UFC) returns March 23 vs. Trey Ogden (16-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting first reported the news.

Holobaugh (20-7 MMA, 1-4 UFC) is one of the few UFC fighters in the promotion’s history to appear in three separate stints under the company’s banner. The third time has been the charm thus far for Holobaugh, who finished Lee Hammond and Jason Knight in exhibition bouts before a slick, “TUF 31” tournament-clinching submission over Team Chandler teammate Austin Hubbard in the lightweight finale.

Ogden (16-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) looks to wash the bad taste out of his mouth after a controversial no contest against Nikolas Motta in November. Ogden dominated the majority of the 13-plus-minute performance before referee Mike Beltran erroneously deemed Motta unconscious during a submission attempt. Video replay showed Motta was not out and did not tap, so the bout was called a no contest – a ruling many viewers deemed wildly unfair.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night for March 23 includes:

• Julian Erosa vs. Ricardo Ramos
• Cody Gibson vs. Davey Grant
• Montserrat Rendon vs. Dariya Zheleznyakova
• Shauna Bannon vs. Stephanie Luciano
• Fernando Padilla vs. Luis Pajuelo
• Jarno Errens vs. Steven Nguyen
• Kurt Holobaugh vs. Trey Ogden