Jesse Taylor returns to action on Oct. 2 vs. Drew Fickett

Following his July release from the UFC, former TUF 7 middleweight contestant Jesse Taylor will be returning to action on Oct. 2 during Total Combat 32 at the Syucan Casino just outside of San Diego.

Taylor’s opponent will be another former UFC veteran, Drew Fickett.

Taylor lost a chance to compete against Amir Sadollah in the finals of TUF 7 after he was dismissed from the show following an incident at a Las Vegas hotel and casino. He had earned the right to meet Sadollah after winning a semifinal fight against Tim Credeur and remained in Vegas after the show had wrapped filming to celebrate the win.

After a night of partying, Taylor was accused of being intoxicated and was shown on security video as kicking out the window of a limousine. He was also accused by UFC President Dana White of verbally accosting several female patrons inside of the casino and then referring to himself as a UFC fighter when questioned by security officials.

Taylor was given a second chance by the UFC and debuted for the promotion on July 19 during UFC Fight Night 14 in a match against fellow TUF alum C.B. Dollaway. In the week leading up to the fight, Taylor made some controversial comments about Quinton Jackson’s arrest on charges of reckless driving and evading arrest. Those comments combined with his first round submission defeat to Dollaway prompted UFC officials to sever contractual ties with him for a second and final time.

Much like Taylor, Fickett is no stranger when it comes to controversy. Fickett, who holds notable victories over Josh Koscheck, Josh Neer, Kenny Florian, and Kurt Pellegrino, has had trouble in recent years finding fights on a consistent basis due to accusations of erratic behavior. Clearly capable of competing for a major national promotion, Fickett has burned several bridges with promoters and matchmakers.

In spite of their out-of-the-cage issues, the Taylor vs. Fickett matchup is very intriguing as a regional-level main event. Total Combat has also announced that the card will be televised on MTV3. In addition to Taylor vs. Fickett, other bouts slated include former WEC veteran Ian McCall vs. Kevin Dunsmor, Rolando Perez vs. Nick Alvarado, and a female bout between Megan Gangitano of Team Quest vs. Kim Rose, who defeated Kim Couture this past June.