The legendary Anderson Silva will return to action against Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 83 in London on February 27th.
Bisping had originally been scheduled to fight Gegard Mousasi at the event, but the UFC have had a change of heart and so Silva now takes his place for the show which will air exclusively on the UFC’s Fight Pass subscription service.
Silva last fought in January at UFC 183 with a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz marking his comeback after having broke his leg in the Octagon a year earlier. The former middleweight champion’s celebrations were quickly dampened however when it emerged that he had failed both pre and post-fight drug tests a the event, with steroids being found in his system among other banned substances.
That eventually led to his fight with Diaz being amended to a ‘no contest’ ruling, while Silva was also suspended for a year after the Nevada State Athletic Commission dismissed his flimsy defense against the charges set before him.
Now 40 years old, Silva will once again step back into the Octagon, this time not to defend the title he held for so many years, nor to protect a long unbeaten run, but to try to salvage his reputation and prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.
As for Bisping, he had called for a fight with Silva for many years while the Brazilian held the belt, and while the title won’t be on the line in February it’s still a a huge opportunity to defeat a legend and earn the biggest win of his career.
