Karolina Kowalkiewicz is set to make her return to the octagon this summer.
Promotion officials announced on Tuesday that a strawweight matchup between Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Penne will take place at UFC 265. The event takes place Aug. 7 at a location and venue yet to be announced.
Kowalkiewicz will make her first appearance since February 2020 where she suffered her fourth consecutive loss to Yan Xiaonan at UFC Auckland. The former title challenger also suffered decision losses to Michelle Waterson and Alexa Grasso, along with a first-round knockout loss to Jessica Andrade during her current skid. The 35-year-old will look to pick up her first win since defeating Felice Herrig at UFC 223 in April 2018.
Penne recently returned to action following a four-year hiatus and earned a split decision win over newcomer Lupita Godinez at April’s UFC Vegas 24 event, snapping a three-fight losing streak. The 38-year-old faced a potential four-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency for a second violation of the UFC’s anti-doping policy. USADA eventually handed Penne a 20-month suspension after she tested positive for trace amounts of Stanozolol, which is an anabolic steroid banned at all times for athletes competing in the UFC.
UFC 265 will feature a women’s bantamweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena.