· Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin Promoted To Main Card

· Article author: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Posted on 03/10 at 10:00 AM

Former UFC light heavyweight competitor James "The Sandman" Irvin is scheduled to make his long awaited return to action and his middleweight debut against Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara. The bout has been moved to the main card of "UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones" scheduled for March 21, 2010 to be aired live on Versus.

Irvin has not competed in nearly two years due to injuries and a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. His last outing was a devastating loss to current middleweight champion Anderson Silva, in a light heavyweight bout. Irvin threw a kick that Silva caught, then took a vicious straight right hand and was quickly finished when the fight hit the mat. Prior to the loss to Silva, Irvin had won two bouts in a row against tough opponents Houston Alexander and Luiz Cane.

Sakara on the other hand has won two in a row including a victory over former UFC middleweight title contender Thales Leites at "UFC 101: Declaration" in August. The bout with Irvin is sure to produce fireworks as both fighters have a tendency to stand and trade. Of Sakara's career fourteen wins, ten have come by way of knockout/technical knockout.