Kyler Phillips returns on July 24 against Raphael Assuncao

Kyler Phillips has a chance to become a top-10 bantamweight as he faces perennial contender, Raphael Assuncao.

Phillips revealed on his Instagram story that he’s back in action on July 24 against Assuncao at a location to be determined. MyMMANews has since been able to confirm the fight booking.

Kyler Phillips (9-1) is coming off a very impressive win over Song Yadong at UFC 259. It was his fourth win in a row and he’s now 3-0 in the UFC. Phillips showed off his striking and cardio to beat the top prospect. Before that, the 25-year-old scored a TKO win over Cameron Else and had a decision win over Gabriel Silva. Phillips competed on The Ultimate Fighter and lost a majority decision to Brad Katona. He also competed on Dana White Contender Series in 2017 when Phillips was just 4-0 and he earned a first-round TKO over James Gray.

Raphael Assuncao (27-8) is on a three-fight losing skid and could very well be fighting for his job. Last time out, the Brazilian suffered a KO loss to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 250. Prior to that, he suffered a decision loss to Cory Sandhagen and a submission loss to Marlon Moraes. In the UFC, Assuncao is 11-5 with notable wins over TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling, Moraes, and Rob Font. The fight against Phillips is also a much-needed step down in competition for Assuncao who likes to get some momentum back.

The fight makes perfect sense as Phillips is getting a step up in competition he deserves as he looked to become a top-10 bantamweight. Assuncao, meanwhile, has a chance to prove he’s still one of the best bantamweights in the world and has a chance to start a winning streak.

With the addition of Kyler Phillips vs. Raphael Assuncao, the July 24 card is as follows: