A heavyweight contest between Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum has been targeted for UFC 143, according to reports from MMA Weekly. The Super Bowl weekend match-up will mark Werdum's return to the UFC for the first time since 2008. UFC officials have yet to confirm the bout.
The top dog of "The Ultimate Fighter 10", Nelson (16-6) recently entered back into the win column by retiring MMA legend Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic via third-round TKO at UFC 137. Prior to the victory, the rotund 35-year-old suffered consecutive losses to UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and former champion Frank Mir.
Werdum (14-5-1), meanwhile, has seen his stock skyrocket since embarking on a three-year pilgrimage to Strikeforce. The 34-year-old is currently MMA Nation's No. 5 ranked heavyweight after earning consecutive victories over Mike Kyle, Antonio Silva, and Fedor Emelianenko. His last fought to a listless unanimous decision loss against Alistair Overeem in June.
UFC 143 takes place Super Bowl weekend, February 4th, at the Mandalay Bay Events Centers in Las Vegas, Nevada. An interim welterweight title bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit is the night's main event.
UFC 143 fight card:
Interim Welterweight Championship: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit
Featherweight: Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier
Heavyweight: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum
Bantamweight: Scott Jorgensen vs. Renan Barao
Welterweight: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
Middleweight: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper
Bantamweight: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa
Welterweight: Jorge Lopez vs. Amir Sadollah
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