Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos has joined the roster at Eagle FC and he will make his debut in the main event on May 20 against Yorgan De Castro.
Eagle FC officials confirmed the fight to MMA Fighting on Wednesday after Khabib Nurmagomedov first announced the matchup via ESPN.
Dos Santos will compete outside the UFC for the first time in nearly 14 years after he first joined the promotion back in 2008. Recognized as one the best heavyweights of his generation, Dos Santos fought the best of the best throughout his career in the UFC including his reign as champion in 2011 and 2012.
After losing the belt to Cain Velasquez in 2013, Dos Santos remained a constant threat near the top of the division while earning wins over the likes of Mark Hunt, Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa.
Following his exit from the UFC, Dos Santos actually signed with Triller Fight Club to compete in Triad Combat — a hybrid boxing rules event — but his debut bout was scrapped after the promotion cancelled the card that was scheduled in February.
Now Dos Santos will stick with MMA as he faces off with another UFC veteran in De Castro, who picked up a submission win over Shaun Asher in his Eagle FC debut back in January.
The upcoming Eagle FC card on May 20 will also feature a co-main event as former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard takes on UFC veteran Thiago Silva.
The Eagle FC card will take place at the FLX Arena in Miami with the card streaming live on the FLX app.