Thiago-Pyle, Broughton-‘Lula’ Added to UFC’s January Rio Return

Ultimate Fighting Championship officials Tuesday confirmed a pair of rumored matchups for UFC 142, as Paulo Thiago is slated to face Mike Pyle, and Rob Broughton will welcome Brazilian heavyweight Edinaldo Oliveira to the Octagon on Jan. 14.

Headlined by Jose Aldo’s featherweight title defense against Chad Mendes, the event will emanate from HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Also featuring a middleweight collision between heavy hitters Anthony Johnson and Vitor Belfort, the evening’s main card will air live on pay-per-view.

Thiago (Pictured), 30, rebounded from back-to-back defeats in his most recent outing, easily outpointing David Mitchell at UFC 134 in August. A seven-time UFC veteran, the Brazilian owns Octagon victories over Josh Koscheck, Jacob Volkmann and Mike Swick.

A 12-year pro, Pyle strung together three consecutive UFC wins before being knocked out by red-hot prospect Rory MacDonald in August. Prior to that defeat, the Xtreme Couture representative had earned Octagon wins over Jesse Lennox, John Hathaway and Ricardo Almeida.

Broughton comes fresh off a losing effort against debuting countryman Philip De Fries, as “The Bear” was outpointed by his younger opponent at UFC 138 on Nov. 5. The defeat marked the Englishman’s second straight loss, bringing his overall promotional record to 1-2.

Unbeaten in 14 career outings, Oliveira has won nine consecutive fights. The 27-year-old last competed on Oct. 21, knocking out Nalzinho Novaes. “Lula” has finished 10 of his 13 career opponents, earning eight knockouts since turning pro in 2005.