Just a day after fortifying the lineup for their Oct. 18 UFC 89 card at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England, Zuffa have added a major light heavyweight tilt to the card.
In a premier 205-pound pairing, unblemished
Lyoto Machida (Pictures) puts his 13-0 mark on the line against fellow undefeated Brazilian
Thiago Silva (Pictures), who boast his own 13-0 record.
Machida’s lack of exposure despite wins over the likes of
Rich Franklin (Pictures), Stephan Bonner and
B.J. Penn (Pictures) once made him arguably the sport's greatest enigma. However, with a 5-0 mark in the UFC, including a commanding decision over former UFC light heavyweight champion
Tito Ortiz (Pictures) in May, the 30-year-old Machida has turned his mystery into mysticism, emerging as a dominant challenger with a seemingly unsolvable style.
The 25-year-old Silva, one of the division's hottest prospects, also continued his climb up the light heavyweight ladder in May, overcoming a rocky start against fellow Brazilian
Antonio Mendes (Pictures) to force "Samuray" to submit to punches from the mount in the first round. The victory ran Silva's UFC record to 4-0, including stoppage victories over
Tomasz Drwal (Pictures) and
Houston Alexander (Pictures).
On Tuesday, Zuffa announced three bouts for the Oct. 18 UFC 89 card, making official fights between welterweights
Akihiro Gono (Pictures) and
Dan Hardy (Pictures), heavyweights
Shane Carwin (Pictures) and Neil Wain, and light heavyweights
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures) and Luiz Arthur Cane.
Printer Friendly