http://mmajunkie.com/news/20712/ufc...lfort-vs-okami-to-detemine-no-1-contender.mma
Although UFC officials previously announced November's UFC 122 event during a recent "Ultimate Insider" episode, today's official press release adds a level of relevance to the night's headliner.
UFC 122, which takes place Nov. 13 at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, features a middleweight headliner between Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Yushin Okami (25-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
And following top contender Chael Sonnen's failed UFC 117 drug test, the UFC 122 headliner becomes all the more meaningful now that the winner has been promised a middleweight title shot.
The No. 1 contender's bout headlines UFC 122's main card, which airs via same-day delay on Spike TV.
A UFC 122 ticket pre-sale begins today for UFC Fight Club members, and the general public can purchase tickets beginning Wednesday. The event is open only to fans 18 and older, and IDs will be checked at the door on the night of the event.
Belfort looks to reclaim an earlier promised title shot. However, when Belfort was sidelined by a shoulder injury, Demian Maia and then Sonnen got shots at middleweight champ Anderson Silva's belt. Nevertheless, Belfort is riding a five-fight win streak, and four of the wins came in Cage Rage and Affliction Entertainment. In September 2009 at UFC 103, he returned to the UFC for the first time in four years and scored a first-round knockout of Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catchweight bout.
Okami, who long has flirted with title contention, most recently earned a split-decision win over Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 2. It was his his fifth win in his past six fights, which included additional victories over Lucio Linhares, Dean Lister, Evan Tanner and Jason MacDonald. The lone loss came to Sonnen.
It's not known if the Belfort-Okami winner will be the next title challenger for Silva's belt or if another contender will get the first shot. Sonnen, who nearly defeated the champ in August at UFC 117, was slated for an immediate rematch in early 2011. However, he now faces a one-year ban for a failed drug test (due to a performance-enhancing drug), and even if he appeals to the California State Athletic Commission, the process could be lengthy.
Germany hosted its first show – UFC 99 with a Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva headliner – in June 2009. Despite some resistance from the German media that resulted in a ban on minors from attending the show, UFC president Dana White vowed the organization would return to and continue its expansion in the European country.
The latest UFC 122 card includes:
* Vitor Belfort vs. Yushin Okami
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic*
* Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara*
* Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta*
* Jason Brilz vs. Vladimir Matyushenko*
* Rob Kimmons vs. Kyle Noke*
* Seth Petruzelli vs. Karlos Vemola*
* Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner*
* Duane "Bang" Ludwig vs. Nick Osipczak*
* Kris McCray vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha*
* Pascal Krauss vs. Kenny Robertson*
* - Not officially announced
For more on UFC 122, including the latest rumored fight card, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.