The first bout has been announced for UFC Fight Night 122.
Although the UFC couldn’t make the fight happen in Rio de Janeiro or New York, Kelvin Gastelum will finally get the chance to add another chapter to his legend-hunting mission. Make no mistake about it, this fight won’t be an easy task for Gastelum as he is set to fight a legend. His opponent at the upcoming event will be against former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
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According to several reports, the middleweight fighters have agreed to meet in the headliner of the UFC’s debut in mainland China later this year. FloCombat.com first reported the news.
If you recall, the UFC attempted to make this fight happen before. They were originally scheduled to fight each other at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, but Gastelumad to be pulled from the bout after testing positive for marijuana metabolites in a test stemming from a previous bout with Vitor Belfort. The promotion couldn’t find a replacement to fight Silva at the event and he was pulled from the card.
This led to Gastelum (14-3) suggesting that they fight in Long Island, New York, which hosted UFC on FOX 25 on July 22. While Gastelum got the date, he didn't fight Silva. Instead, he took on former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. As a result of that fight, he suffered third-round submission loss, which marked his first loss since a split decision to Neil Magny in 2015.
On the flip side, this bout marks Silva’s (34-8 MMA, 17-4 UFC) first appearance in the world famous Octagon since February when he competed against Derek Brunson at UFC 208.
However, Silva won the bout by decision, which snapped a two-fight losing streak. Silva had hadn’t had an official UFC win since 2012. The former champion had a decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 183 later overturned after both fighters failed doping tests.
UFC Fight Night 122 is set to take place on November 25th at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. The promotion has yet to reveal the broadcasting details for this event but the main card will likely air on FOX Sports 1 while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 and the UFC’s official streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.
No other bouts have been announced for this upcoming card. As the event draws closer, the promotion will be adding more bouts. It will be interesting to see who will be competing in the co-main event.
What are your thoughts on this fight taking place at this event? Is it a good move for Silva or a mistake? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.