Elias Theodorou will return to action in his home province of Ontario this December, competing at PFC 12.

Former UFC middleweight contender Elias Theodorou (16-3) has announced his return to the cage. After being cut by the UFC off a single loss earlier this year, the ‘Mane Event’ will be back in action under the Prospect Fighting Championships banner. A regional promotion in Theodorou’s home province of Ontario, he’ll be paired up on the PFC 12 card with an opponent to be named later.

A PFC official confirmed the bout to Cageside Press, noting that Theodorou’s opponent was still to be firmed up.

One of the more popular Canadian’s on the UFC’s roster, Theodorou’s release earlier this year came as a shock to many. While UFC President Dana White made noise about the cut coming as a result of Theordorou not being top five material, the real reason is likely a little more harsh: Theodorou is a talented fighter with a large following, but one whose conservative style didn’t translate to fireworks in the octagon. And with the UFC rather flighty with the “is it spectacle or sport” question, a single loss coming off a three-fight win streak was all it took.

Overall, Theodorou, who also serves as a ring card boy for Invicta FC, was 8-3 in the UFC, and won The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia in 2014.