UFC 172 has become as a family affair, as UFC newcomer Joe Ellenberger (14-1), twin brother of Jake Ellenberger, has joined his sibling on the April fight card.

Ellenberger, who nearly saw his mixed martial arts career derailed by a life-threatening paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) diagnosis in 2009, is expected to make his long-awaited UFC debut against in a lightweight contest against Yancy Medeiros (10-1), UFC officials announced earlier this week.

Ellenberger, 28, initially inked a UFC contract in 2009 after running his professional record to 10-0. However his career, as well as his own future, were cast into doubt following the discovery of his PNH -- a rare disease that lays waste to red blood cells.

He successfully returned to MMA in 2011 with the aid of a drug called Soliris -- the cost which totaled over $400,000 a year -- and continued right where he left off, racking up a 4-1 record that included back-to-back finishes over Jesse Zeugin and Joe Wilk in 2012.

Medeiros, 26, recently rebounded from a loss to Rustam Khabilov in his UFC debut to pick up a first-round knockout of veteran Yves Edwards at UFC Fight Night 31.

UFC 172 takes place April 26, 2014 at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD. An updated fight card can be seen below.