Ben "Killa B" Saunders is making his return to the UFC after leaving the promotion four years ago.
Titan FC, the promotion Saunders was previously fighting for, has released him of his contractual obligations so he could return to the octagon, according to 5thRound.com.
The exact date for Saunders's first fight back in the UFC has not been revealed yet. His last fight in the promotion was against Dennis Hallman at UFC 117, which ended with Hallman winning via unanimous decision.
Saunders was originally scheduled to fight Jose Landi-Jons for the inaugural Titan FC welterweight championship on Aug. 22, but the fight was canceled due to Saunders's decision to leave. Landi-Jons also had to withdraw from the fight only hours after the fight's announcement after having issues securing a visa to fight in the U.S. Landi-Jons was supposed to serve as a replacement for Matt Riddle, who is currently out with an injury, Saunders took the UFC's offer to come back before Titan FC could find a suitable replacement, MMA Fighting reported.
The "Zuffa clause" in Titan FC's contracts lets fighters leave the promotion so they can sign with the UFC. Another condition of the clause is that if the UFC makes an offer 30 days before a scheduled fight for Titan FC, the promotion has to let the fighter leave.
"We wish Ben all the best," said Lex McMahon, COO of Titan FC. "No one is a bigger Ben Saunders fan than me, and I want him to see him do great in the UFC. Our motto will always be, 'Fans, Fighters First.'"
31-year-old Saunders currently holds a 16-6-2 record, having started his MMA career as a contestant of "The Ultimate Fighter 6" in 2007. He won four fights and lost three while in the UFC, which let him go in 2010 after he lost two fights in a row, 5thRound.com reported.
"Killa B" also fought for Bellator MMA, a promotion where he held a 7-3 record but recently left after losing to Douglas Lima via knockout in September. Saunders's return to the UFC is a rare case since the promotion hardly ever signs fighters coming off a loss.
