MMA News Forums - Bisping vs Belfort HEADLINES Brazil event Jan.19

Quote:

Reports of new bouts for the UFC's return to Brazil in January had been trickling in with regularity earlier this week. Now they're official.

The UFC early Saturday announced a 12-fight card in Brazil for Jan. 19, though the host city and venue are still to be determined and, the UFC said, will be announced soon. The four-fight main card is likely to air on either FX or FUEL TV.

Headlining the event will be a middleweight bout between recent light heavyweight title challenger and former middleweight title challenger Vitor Belfort (21-10 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Michael Bisping (23-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC).

In the co-main event, C.B. Dollaway (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) returns for the first time since a May win over Jason "Mayhem" Miller and takes on Daniel Sarafian (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who reached the finals of the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," but couldn't fight due to a training injury. He'll make his official UFC debut in front of his home country after recently getting clearance to begin training again.

Rounding out the main card is a heavyweight fight between Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Ben Rothwell (32-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC), which MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) on Friday reported, and a lightweight scrap between Thiago Tavares (17-4-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

Previously reported bouts headed for the eight-fight preliminary card include Yuri Alcantara (27-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. George Roop (12-9-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC) at bantamweight; featherweights Godofredo Castro (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. Milton Vieira (13-7-2 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC); and Diego Nunes (18-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) vs. Nik Lentz (24-5-2 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) at featherweight.

In addition, the prelims will feature a middleweight bout between Andrew Craig (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Ronny Markes (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC); a lightweight scrap between Edson Barboza (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Justin Salas (10-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC); Michael Kuiper (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (9-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at middleweight; a light heavyweight bout between Roger Hollett (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Wagner Prado (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC); and Francisco Trinaldo (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs. C.J. Keith (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at lightweight.

Just this past week, Belfort on Twitter said reports of a bout between him and Bisping were mere rumors – until something was announced. The rumors, of course, now have proven to be well-founded. Belfort is coming off a fourth-round submission loss to light heavyweight champ Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 152 in Toronto. The defeat was just the second in nine fights for the Brazilian veteran, with the other coming to middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 126. The fight will be nearly a year to the day from Belfort's UFC 142 win in Brazil over Anthony Johnson.

Bisping has been campaigning for a shot at Silva, and a win over Belfort could get him that shot. At UFC 152, the Brit beat Brian Stann by unanimous decision to get back in the win column after a close decision loss to Chael Sonnen in January. Bisping has wins in five of his past six fights.

The latest card for the UFC's return to Brazil now includes:

MAIN CARD
•Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
•C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian
•Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell
•Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Thiago Tavares

PRELIMINARY CARD
•Godofredo Castro vs. Milton Vieira
•Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes
•Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes
•Edson Barboza vs. Justin Salas
•Michael Kuiper vs. Thiago Perpetuo
•Yuri Alcantara vs. George Roop
•Roger Hollett vs. Wagner Prado
•Francisco Trinaldo vs. C.J. Keith

UFC makes official Jan. 19 card in Brazil with Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping headliner | MMAjunkie.com

EDIT; How is Edson Barboza on the preliminary card!?!?! that blows me away, even if he is coming off a loss this kid needs to be on the main card