Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi Booked For February UFC In Brazil
Amidst speculation that Lyoto Machida would face off with Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort in his next bout at middleweight, it appears that he has found another top-flight opponent altogether.
“The Dragon” will face off with former DREAM middleweight champion Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi at a yet-to-be-named event on February 8 in Jaragua do Sol, Brazil. The UFC officially announced the bout today, and the event will air live on Fox Sports 2.
Mousasi immediately started his campaign for a fight with Machida directly after “The Dragon’s” headkick knockout over Mark Munoz at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester.
Apparently, that campaign worked wonders.
Mousasi was last seen dispatching the little-known Ilir Latifi at UFC on Fuel TV 6. News arose that he had a torn ACL, which he is currently recovering from. Mousasi hinted at a drop down to 185 lbs.; now he’ll face off against arguably the toughest test of his career in February.
Machida is already making huge waves at his new weight class. His striking power appears to be amplified with the weight cut, and a win over former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Mousasi will undoubtedly have him knocking on the door of a middleweight title shot.
Who wants to see Machida fight the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva? Probably a few fight fans put there wouldn’t object to it. Of course, Mousasi could throw a wrench into those plans with a big win in Brazil. Let us know your thoughts on the blockbuster bout below.
Outer Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports
