The UFC announced Tuesday Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez and Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva as the two co-headlining bouts for UFC 108 on Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.The winner of the heavyweight main event will determine the title challenger next in line once Brock Lesnar recovers from his sickness and puts his belt up against Shane Carwin.
The Evans-Silva matchup pits the former 205-pound champ looking to avenge his training partner Keith Jardine's knockout loss at UFC 102.
"Thiago Silva is a good fighter, I'd like to fight him and I think he wants to fight me," Evans told FanHouse in September. "When I saw him after he fought Keith Jardine, he kind of gave me a nasty look that I interpreted like he wanted to take me on, and I'd like that."
Evans would have fought Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 107 as the culmination to their feud on The Ultimate Fighter 10, but Jackson passed on the fight to pursue a film role.
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