Tate returns to the octagon against Vieira

The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, and one of the most popular MMA fighters in history, will headline UFC Fight Night against Ketlen Vieira on Oct. 16 in Las Vegas, UFC announced Thursday.

Vieira is ranked No. 8 in the world at 135 pounds and this is Tate’s chance to move back up the divisional ladder. “Cupcake” made her return from retirement after five years away with an impressive third-round technical knockout over Marion Reneau in July.

Tate vs. Vieira had been planned by UFC for several weeks, but the announcement was pending Vieira signing the fight deal, which happened Thursday, according to Vieira’s Instagram.

Tate (19-7) headlined UFC 200 in July 2016 against current women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes. The Washington native, who fights out of Las Vegas, stepped away from competition after a loss to Raquel Pennington four months after that, taking an executive position with ONE Championship in Singapore. Tate, 35, announced she would return to UFC last March and was looking for a future opportunity to challenge for the title she lost to Nunes five years ago.

Vieira (11-2) has lost two of her last three fights after starting her career 10-0. The Brazilian native most recently lost to Yana Kunitskaya by unanimous decision in February. Vieira, 30, owns UFC victories over Cat Zingano, Sara McMann and Sijara Eubanks.