Middleweights Lyoto Machida, Gegard Mousasi to Headline UFC Event in Brazil on Feb. 8
Gegard Mousasi returns to the Octagon to face Lyoto Machida on
Feb. 8. | Ryan O’Leary/Sherdog.com
Lyoto Machida will square off with Gegard Mousasi in a key middleweight bout on Feb. 8.
Globo.com first reported the matchup, and the UFC later confirmed the pairing. While the event remains unnamed, it is expected to take place at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil. The evening’s main card, including the five-round headliner, will be televised on Fox Sports 2.
After a long and successful stint at light heavyweight, Machida made his first Octagon appearance at 185 pounds at UFC Fight Night 30, where he knocked out Mark Munoz with a head kick 3:10 into the opening round of their main event bout. Prior to that victory, “The Dragon” compiled an 11-4 mark in the Octagon at 205 pounds, capturing the promotion’s title with a second-round knockout of Rashad Evans at UFC 98. The 35-year-old Brazilian owns notable UFC wins over the likes of Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Mauricio Rua, Randy Couture, Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson.
Mousasi, meanwhile, took a lopsided three-round verdict over short-notice foe Ilir Latifi in his April UFC debut. A former Strikeforce light heavyweight ruler, Mousasi has not tasted defeat since dropping his title in a five-round defeat to Muhammed Lawal in April 2010. The man known as the “Dreamcatcher” has defeated the likes of Hector Lombard, Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef, Ronaldo Souza, Mark Hunt, and Renato Sobral over the course of a 39-fight career.
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