Frankie Edgar Set for Bantamweight Debut vs. Cory Sandhagen on Jan. 25

Frankie Edgar will make his bantamweight debut against Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 25.

ESPN was first to report the pairing. UFC Raleigh takes place at the PNC Center and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Curtis Blaydes against Junior dos Santos. The card is expected to air on ESPN+.

A former lightweight king and featherweight title challenger, Edgar elected to drop down to 135 pounds following a five-round decision loss to Max Holloway in a 145-pound championship clash at UFC 240 on July 27. It was Edgar’s third defeat in a title bout at featherweight.

Sandhagen, meanwhile, has emerged as a new contender at bantamweight following a five-bout winning streak to begin his promotional tenure. The 27-year-old scored the most significant victory of his career to date at UFC 241, where he outpointed perennial contender Raphael Assuncao on Aug. 17.