Bryan Battle drops to welterweight, to meet Takashi Sato at UFC on ESPN 40

“The Ultimate Fighter 29” winner Bryan Battle will drop to 170 pounds for a matchup with Takashi Sato at  UFC on ESPN 40.

Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from  MMAFighting.com. UFC on ESPN 40 takes place on Aug. 6 at an an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a light heavyweight showdown between Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos.

Both of Battle’s first two promotional triumphs have come at middleweight. The 27-year-old Hayastan MMA Charlotte representative submitted Gilbert Urbina at UFC on ESPN 30 to complete his run through “TUF 29” and then outpointed Tresean Gore in his second Octagon appearance at UFC Fight Night 200. Battle has currently won six straight professional outings overall.

Sato, meanwhile, has lost three of his last four UFC appearances. Most recently, the Sanford MMA member dropped a unanimous verdict to Gunnar Nelson at UFC Fight Night 204 on March 19. The Pancrase veteran is 15-5 as a pro, with 13 wins coming inside the distance.