Confirmed: Demian Maia Set to Face Anderson Silva at UFC 112

*Edit: Now Confirmed by the UFC.* Very strong rumors are circulating from the West Coast that UFC middleweight Demian Maia (12-1) has been chosen as the replacement for the injured Vitor Belfort and will face Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Sources close to the fight say the bout has been verbally agreed and will be signed shortly.

Maia most recently appeared at UFC 109, scoring a decision victory over Dan Miller in a fight where he displayed greatly a greatly improved striking game. Maia was considered to be on the fast track to a title shot in 2009 before he was derailed by Nate Marquardt with a vicious knockout. However, he owns a submission victory over Chael Sonnen, now considered the number one contender in the division. Sonnen will likely face the winner of this bout on a later PPV card on American soil.