Vitor Belfort (photo courtesy of UFC.com)
Belfort vs. Akiyama booked for Philly
Vitor Belfort will return to the Octagon for the first time since a stunning knockout loss to Anderson Silva in January when he faces Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133.
The event is scheduled for Aug. 6 in Philadelphia.
Silva used a front kick to the jaw to finish Belfort in their middleweight title fight in January. It was Belfort’s first fight in the UFC middleweight division after dismantling Rich Franklin in a catchweight bout in his return to the promotion.
Akiyama will look to put an end to a two-fight losing streak. He was scheduled to face Chael Sonnen in March, but Sonnen’s suspension by the UFC put an end to the bout. Nate Marquardt replaced Sonnen, but Akiyama was forced to pull out of that fight after the tragic earthquakes in Japan left him unable to travel.