· Silva vs. Akiyama Targeted For Summer
A second 185-pound fight for former Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva is currently in the works. The hopeful combatant is likely to be the man Silva was originally rumored to face in Sydney at UFC 110, Yoshihiro Akiyama. Akiyama has been waiting in the wings after defeating Alan Belcher last July at UFC 100. Silva claimed his first victory at 185 in his debut against Michael Bisping defeating the British star by unanimous decision.
Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1, 1 NC), is hoping to revive his legendary career at middleweight after going 1-5 prior to the Bisping fight, albeit against top flight competition; his five losses are all to former Pride or UFC champions. The win against Bisping will help propel Silva into some interesting matchups at middleweight, starting with a bout against “Sexiyama.”
Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC) is a world class judoka who has competed in Japan for his entire MMA career until making his debut with the UFC last July. He holds notable victories over Denis Kang and Melvin Manhoef. Akiyama is looking for a marquee win to position himself among the upper-echelon of middleweight contenders.
The bout was all but confirmed by the comments made by Dana White and Silva at the UFC post-fight press conference. When Silva was asked who he wanted to fight, he responded with “Akiyama.”
The proposed bout has the makings for "Fight of the Year." Even with Silva’s recent string of losses, he has consistently come out ready and willing to fight in every matchup. Silva’s destructive win against Keith Jardine at UFC 84 garnered him "Knockout of the Year" honors and his two losses against Chuck Liddell (UFC 79) and Rich Franklin (UFC 99) both received the “Fight of the Night” bonus. Akiyama is also no stranger to putting on spectacular fights; his fight against Alan Belcher received the “Fight of the Night” bonus in a back and forth barn-burner between two very exciting middleweights.
Silva vs. Akiyama is being targeted for UFC 115 on June 12. Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, who are squaring off for the third time after a stint as coaches on the eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will headline the event. A match between Rich Franklin and Randy Couture is also rumored for the card.
