9 Fights Greenlit for UFC on Versus

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 finalist Brendan Schaub will lock horns with Chase Gormley in a preliminary heavyweight matchup at UFC on Versus 1 on March 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colo. Nine matches have been greenlit for the event.

Schaub last competed in December, when he suffered a first-round knockout against former International Fight League heavyweight champion Roy Nelson at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in Las Vegas. A Ring of Fire and Ultimate Warrior Challenge veteran, the 26-year-old Coloradan trains alongside heavyweight contender Shane Carwin and former middleweight King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt. Schaub, who played football at the University of Colorado and enjoyed a brief stint in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, has never fought past the first round in five fights as a professional.

The once-beaten Gormley, 26, made his ill-fated debut inside the Octagon in October, when he succumbed to a first-round triangle choke from the 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve at UFC 104. He was a collegiate All-American wrestler at Montana State University - Northern, an NAIA school in Havre, Mont. Gormley, the former Gladiator Challenge heavyweight champion, holds victories over EliteXC veteran Jon Murphy and the 340-pound Eric Pele.

Meanwhile, former World Extreme Cagefighting heavyweight titleholder James Irvin, in his first appearance in nearly two years, will toe the line against American Top Team’s Alessio Sakara in a preliminary light heavyweight tilt.

Saddled by knee injuries, Irvin has not appeared since he was blasted by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in July 2008. The 31-year-old Californian has proven a deft finisher inside the cage, having secured 10 of his 14 career wins by knockout or technical knockout. Former WEC light heavyweight champion Doug Marshall and UFC veterans Terry Martin, Houston Alexander and Scott Smith rank prominently on Irvin’s list of victims.

Sakara will carry a two-fight winning streak into the match. The 28-year-old Italian followed his head kick knockout of Joe Vedepo at UFC Fight Night 15 with a narrow split-decision victory over Thales Leites 11 months later at UFC 101. Sakara has not competed since. Wins over former King of the Cage champion James Lee, reigning Fight Club light heavyweight titleholder Victory Valimaki and Australian journeyman Elvis Sinosic dot his resume.

Elsewhere, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Eric Schafer will square off with Jason Brilz in a 205-pound tilt. Schafer has won four of his last five fights but finds himself on the rebound following a unanimous decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner Ryan Bader in October. Brilz, who owns victories against Jason MacDonald and Tim Boetsch, was outpointed by Eliot Marshall at UFC 103 in December.

A light heavyweight matchup pairing Jon Jones with Brandon Vera will headline the UFC’s debut on the Versus network, along with a pivotal heavyweight clash between the world-ranked Junior dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga.