The UFC announced today, Thursday, that “UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman” is official for Saturday, July 6, the company said in a press release.
Middleweight champion and undisputed pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva will face undefeated No. 1 contender Chris Weidman to headline the card. Tickets for the event go on sale on tomorrow, Friday, May 10.
The week in July also marks the return of the UFC Fan Expo, as well as Fight Week, a series of fan events, concerts, and appearances featuring your favorite UFC fighters and personalities.
“The best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, defends the middleweight title for a record 11th time on July 6 when he takes on unbeaten Chris Weidman,” UFC President Dana White said in the release. “Weidman is 9-0 in his pro career and has incredible wrestling and power. He said he will shock the world at UFC 162 and end Anderson’s reign atop the middleweight division. With UFC 162, the UFC Fan Expo and Fight Week, this is going to be an amazing week for fight fans. You have to be in Las Vegas this Fourth of July weekend!”
In addition to the Silva-Weidman showdown, Frankie Edgar (15-4-1, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.), a former lightweight champion and currently the third-ranked featherweight in the world, battles Brazil’s Charles Oliveira (16-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil), while former Strikeforce middleweights make their UFC debuts as Tim Kennedy (15-4, fighting out of Austin, Texas) takes on Rio de Janeiro’s Roger Gracie (6-1).
In addition, fourth-ranked “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung (13-3, fighting out of Po-Hang, South Korea) returns from a yearlong layoff due to injury to meet second-ranked Ricardo Lamas (13-2, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) in a fight that could determine the next challenger for the featherweight title, while fifth-ranked featherweight Cub Swanson (19-5, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) faces Germany’s sixth-ranked Dennis Siver (21-8).
