Fabio Maldonado gets first fight after five-year run in the UFC

Esther Lin, MMA FightingReleased from the UFC after losses Quinton Jackson and Corey Anderson in 2015, Brazilian brawler Fabio Maldonado has signed a deal with XFC International and is scheduled to make his promotional debut on March 19 against Andrew Smith.

Maldonado (22-9) competed in the UFC for five years, going 5-6 with wins over the likes of Hans Stringer, Joey Beltran and Gian Villante. A fan favorite for his fighting style, "The Iron Hillbilly" has stood in against some of the best in the UFC, from Stipe Miocic to Glover Teixeira.

Smith (15-9), who moved up to heavyweight on short notice to face Pedro Rizzo in his retirement bout in 2015, got himself back in the win column 18 days…