Once pegged as the future of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight division, Todd Duffee is back with the world's biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization after three years away.

The 26-year-old is set to meet Philip De Fries on the preliminary portion of the UFC 155 fight card on New Year's weekend.

De Fries was left without an opponent for UFC 155 after his original opponent, Matt Mitrione, was pulled from the event to fight Roy Nelson at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.

Case Keefer of the Las Vegas Sun reported the news on Wednesday afternoon after receiving confirmation from UFC officials.

Duffee (7-2) was released from the UFC in 2010 after UFC President Dana White said he didn't like Duffee's attitude. Since his release, the Indiana native has compiled a 1-1 record with the lone win coming against Neil Grove last April.

The highlight of Duffee's nine-fight career is his seven-second knockout of Tim Hague at UFC 102 in August of 2009.

De Fries (9-1, 1 NC) is coming off a second-round submission of Oli Thompson at UFC on FOX 4 last August. The 26-year-old has won two of three fights in the Octagon and will try to string together consecutive wins for the first time in his UFC career.

UFC 155: ‘Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II' goes down Dec. 29, 2012 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a heavyweight championship rematch between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.