Anthony Pettis will face Gilbert Melendez on December 6

Anthony Pettis will return to UFC action this December on what could be a massive card.

The UFC lightweight champion announced on yesterday's edition of The MMA Hour that he will be facing Gilbert Melendez on December 6 in Las Vegas. That event, which appears as though it will be UFC 181, still doesn't have a venue set as of now.

However, the December 6 date is also the event that Dana White seemed to suggest could feature a huge fight between UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano should Carano finally sign a deal to return to MMA. White was to meet with Carano's representation this week to try and get a deal finalized.

As for now, Pettis and Melendez are opposing coaches on the twentieth season of The Ultimate Fighter, "I gave the injury the right amount of time off, and I'm ready to be back in the Octagon," Pettis said during the interview. "The TUF thing I something I couldn't say no to. It's one of those things that, it boosts my star power, I use it as the opportunity to train at other places."