UFC announces Arizona event for Jan. 15

The UFC will be returning to Arizona for the first time in over two years.

As part of an announcement made Friday, UFC Fight Night Phoenix has officially been scheduled for Jan. 15, 2017.

Though details for the majority of the card can be expected to surface in the coming weeks, three fights have already been confirmed as part of the initial release.

Cyril Asker will take on Dmitri Smoliakov and Viktor Pesta will go head-to-head with Damian Grabowski in a pair of heavyweight tilts, while Joachim Christensen is set to take on Bohan Mihalovic in a light heavyweight matchup.

The UFC's last event in Phoenix came back in December 2014, where Rafael dos Anjos defeated Nate Diaz by way of a unanimous decision in a catchweight bout before Junior dos Santos did the same to Stipe Miocic in the main event of the night.