Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia set for UFC 156

Jon Fitch will fight Demian Maia in a welterweight showdown at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on UFC 156 on Feb. 2. The bout features two veterans looking to build on recent momentum. Maia (17-4) has won both of his fights since dropping down from middleweight: First a quick win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 148 after Kim suffered a fluke injury; then an impressive neck-crank submission win over Rick Story at UFC 153. Fitch (24-4-1, 1 no-contest), meanwhile, is looking to return to the form which had him ranked in most pound-for-pound polls as recently as two years ago.

After enduring an injury-ravaged year and a half, Fitch turned in one of the most impressive performances of his career at UFC 153, as he defeated up-and-coming star Erick Silva with a Fight of the Night-winning unanimous decision. UFC officials announced the bout on Thursday. UFC 156 features several bouts of significance in their divisions: Jose Aldo Jr. defends the featherweight title against Frankie Edgar; light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira meet up; and heavyweight Alistair Overeem is expected to face Antonio Silva, if Overeem is cleared by the Nevada Athletic Commission when his suspension ends.

via:mmafighting.com