The UFC has announced that former IFL middleweight champion Matt Horwich will make his debut with the promotion at UFC 90 on Oct. 25 vs. jiu-jitsu black belt Ricardo Almeida.

Horwich, a member of Matt Lindland’s Team Quest in Portland, Ore., is 23-10-1 overall in his MMA career. He posted a 7-4 record in the IFL with notable victories over Mike Pyle, Brian Foster, and Benji Radach.

With his win over Radach this past December during the league’s World Grand Prix finals, Horwich became the IFL’s first-ever middleweight champion. However, Horwich lost the title to Ryan McGivern in his first-ever defense this past February in Las Vegas.

The 30-year old last competed during the IFL’s last-ever show on May 16 in Connecticut, where he recorded a unanimous decision victory over former training partner Joey Guel.

Horwich is the latest in a long line of former IFL fighters to enlist with the UFC, a list that includes Rory Markham, Andre Gusmao, Brad Blackburn, Jim Miller, Dan Miller, Mike Massenzio, and Reese Andy.

Horwich’s opponent, Almeida, is 9-3 overall in an MMA career that dates back to 2000. A black belt under the legendary Renzo Gracie, Almeida operates his own school in New Jersey and has an extensive background as a competitive grappler.

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According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission unanimously rejected Kyle Maynard’s request for a license to fight on an MMA card this September in Duluth.

The reason why Maynard’s denial of a license is notable is because he was born with a condition known as congenital amputation that left him with arms that end above the elbow and legs that extend barely beyond his hips.

According to the article, commission chairman J.J. Biello claimed “overriding safety concerns” for his reason in refusing to grant Maynard a license to fight.

Maynard has never allowed his handicap to stop him before, as he competed in football during his middle school years and wrestled in high school. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to walk away from his foal of competing in MMA, either.

“I’m going to fight somewhere, some day,” Maynard is quoted as saying in the Journal-Constitution after the decision was rendered.

This is a story I plan to keep following.