Belfort, Akiyama Agree to Meet at UFC 133 in Philadelphia

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Recent title challenger Vitor Belfort and Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama are set to collide in a high-profile middleweight bout at UFC 133.

UFC President Dana White informed ESPN.co.uk on Thursday that Belfort and Akiyama have verbally agreed to square off on August 6 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Belfort, who was knocked out by middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva in their Feb. 5 title fight, had been alternately rumored to face either Michael Bisping or Wanderlei Silva in his next outing, though neither bout materialized.

Prior to his defeat at the hands (and feet) of “The Spider,” the 34-year-old Brazilian had won five consecutive outings. Belfort began his third tour of Octagon duty in September 2009, when he notched a three-minute technical knockout of former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin at UFC 103. The “Phenom” holds a 19-9 career mark and has finished 13 opponents by way of knockout, including such MMA luminaries as Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva.

Akiyama, 35, was forced to bow out of a March 19 engagement with Nate Marquardt due to that month’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in his home country. Since joining the UFC in July 2009, the decorated judo convert has gone 1-2, but has earned “Fight of the Night” honors in all three outings. After scoring a narrow split decision over Alan Belcher in his Octagon debut, Akiyama was submitted by Chris Leben and, most recently, decisioned by Michael Bisping in October.