The UFC have announced that a light-heavyweight clash between Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva will top the bill at ‘UFC On Fuel TV 8’ in Japan on March 3rd.
While both men have recently been plying their trade at middleweight, this fight will be contested at light-heavyweight.
Stann will be looking to right the ship after a decision loss to Michael Bisping last time out that left him with a 4-2 record in the Octagon since moving down to 185lbs in 2010.
After his decision loss to Rich Franklin in June at a catchweight of 190lbs, Silva indicated he was targeting a return to the light-heavyweight division, and he’s now made good on that.
Silva had a tough run in the UFC’s 205lb division when he first landed their after arriving from PRIDE in 2007, going just 1-2 and he’ll have his work cut out for him moving back up their to face the hard-hitting, granite-chinned Stann.
It could be a must-win fight for Silva though if he wants to fend off talk of retirement.
Also on tap for the UFC’s latest trip to Japan will be Diego Sanchez Vs Takanori Gomi.
This fight marks Sanchez’s return to the lightweight division for the first time since an unsuccessful bid to take the title from the champion at the time, BJ Penn back in 2009. In the period since he’s gone 2-2 in the welterweight division.
Meanwhile Gomi has enjoyed a turn in fortunes lately, rebounding from two straight losses with back-to-back wins.
Finally, a third announced fight for the show pits heavyweight Stefan Struve against Mark Hunt.
Both men are on a roll at the moment in the division with Struve stringing together four victories on the trot, while Hunt has produced three.
Overall it looks like being a strong line-up for a Fuel TV event and it’s nice to see the UFC given a nod to the past by including two former PRIDE stars Silva and Hunt on a prominent spot on the card.
