By MATT MOLGAARD
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami will take place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday August 27th. Unbeaten in five years, middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva (28-4) will be seeking redemption against the last man to defeat him (by way of disqualification), Yushin Okami (26-5).

Silva’s UFC run has been ground-breaking, to put it mildly. 13 consecutive promotional wins have left the Brazilian a record holder, and one of the most feared fighters on the planet. With victories over Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort, Silva has virtually cleaned out the division, save for the lone man standing, Yushin Okami. A victory over the Japanese import will not only negate Silva’s last loss, but leave him with virtually zero worthy contenders to his throne.

Yushin Okami, while not as dynamic as his Brazilian counterpart, has earned himself a reputation as one of the division’s most dominant competitors, and legitimate threat to Silva’s title. With an overall UFC record of 10-2, Okami holds significant victories over the likes of Alan Belcher, Mike Swick, Mark Munoz, Nate Marquardt and the late Evan Tanner. The only two defeats he’s suffered while fighting for the promotion have come against former champion Rich Franklin and powerhouse wrestler Chael Sonnen, respectively. “Thunder” currently rides a three fight win streak into his title bid with “The Spider”.

Also officially on tap for the event is an intriguing lightweight clash that will see “The Ultimate Fighter” season 9 victor Ross Pearson (12-4) meet undefeated striking sensation Edson Mendes Barboza Jr. (8-0). The winner will make a big splash in the division, which arguably contains the UFC’s deepest pool of talent.

Rounding out the four official fights signed thus far is a light heavyweight bout featuring Luiz Cane (11-3-0-1) and UFC neophyte Stanislav Nedkov (11-0), and another compelling match in the middleweight division as power puncher Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves (26-3-0-1) will meet “The Ultimate Fighter” season 8 alumn Tom Lawlor (7-3-0-1); though Goncalves looks to be the more traveled fighter, Lawlor has enjoyed far more time on the big stage, as he’s now competed in five UFC bouts (versus Goncalves single promotional appearance), in addition to his stint on “TUF”.