Paulo Thiago vs. David Mitchell targeted for UFC: Rio

A Welterweight battle between Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists Paulo Thiago and David Mitchell has been added to the UFC: Rio line-up.

Sherdog.com has confirmed that agreements are in place for the bout.

Thiago (13-3) was last seen dropping a unanimous decision to Diego Sanchez at UFC 121 last October.  Though the match-up earned Fight of the Night honors, it marked his second consecutive loss after having been outpointed by Martin Kampmann in his previous effort.  Now 3-3 with the promotion, which includes victories over Josh Koscheck, Jacob Volkmann, and Mike Swick, the Brazilian will look to break free from his .500 UFC record when he makes his first octagon appearance of 2011 in his native country.

Mitchell (11-1), meanwhile, suffered his first professional defeat against Anthony Waldburger in his UFC debut this past September.  Prior to the loss, he had reeled-off eleven straight wins while competing for various California based promotions, including Tachi Palace Fights, where he captured and defended the Welterweight title before vacating the strap in favor of signing with the UFC.

UFC 134: Rio is set to take place August 27th from the the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The landmark card will be headlined by a Middleweight title fight between division Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva and challenger Yushin "Thunder" Okami and will mark the promotion's first trip back to Brazil since 1998.

Photo: Paulo Thiago at the UFC 106 weigh-ins at the Mandalay Events Center on November 20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Francis Specker