Joe Riggs Returns from Gunshot Injury, Faces Ben Saunders at UFC on Fox 13

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Former Bellator MMA fighters Joe Riggs and Ben Saunders will square off at UFC on Fox 13 on Dec. 13.

Ultimate Fighting Championship announced the pairing on Monday. UFC on Fox 13 takes place at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Junior dos Santos and Stipe Miocic.

Riggs will fight for the first time since Bellator 106 in November of 2013, when he earned a unanimous decision victory against Mike Bronzoulis. “Diesel” was scheduled to make his return to the Octagon this month, but an accidental gunshot wound derailed his meeting with Paulo Thiago at UFC Fight Night “Bigfoot vs. Arlovski.” Riggs will fight under the UFC banner for the first time since losing via technical knockout in the first round to Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 7.

Saunders will look to build on the momentum from his win against Chris Heatherly at UFC Fight Night “Henderson vs. dos Anjos.” The victory was the first omoplata submission in the UFC and earned “Killa B” a “Performance of the Night” bonus. Despite being released from Bellator in 2013, Saunders has won four of his last five MMA bouts.