Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez official for UFC 178 co-main event on Sept. 27 in Las Vegas

Not long after parting ways with the boys at Viacom and Co. (more on that here), former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez inked a new deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and will make his Octagon debut against Donald Cerrone in the UFC 178 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, which takes place on Sept. 27, 2014 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada.

UFC President Dana White confirmed the pairing earlier today.

The promotion first tried to acquire Alvarez in early 2013, but then-Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney executed his right to match and what followed was a public and messy legal battle, one that kept the talented lightweight out of the cage for over a year. Their dispute was eventually settled and Alvarez (25-3) reclaimed his crown in an epic rematch against 155-pound nemesis Michael Chandler.

A rubber match was planned last May, but Alvarez was forced to withdraw due to a concussion.

Cerrone (24-6), meanwhile, has been red hot, stringing together four straight wins with four violent finishes. He was last seen beating the brakes off Jim Miller at the UFC Fight Night 45 event back in June and as a result of the Alvarez signing, will send Bobby Green off to fight someone else.

Excited?

UFC 178 will be headlined by flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who takes on top contender Chris Cariaso for all the marbles, while former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz gets back into action against Takeya Mizugaki. Conor McGregor, meanwhile, will make a quick turnaround to test his mettle against established featherweight threat, Dustin Poirier.

For the latest and greatest UFC 178 fight card and line up click here.