Heavy.com has confirmed with sources close to the situation that a light heavyweight bout between Forrest Griffin and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is in the works for UFC 113 in Montreal. Verbal agreements are already in place and bout agreeements are expected to be distributed and finalized shortly.
Griffin is coming off a revenge victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 106 in November. It was Griffin’s first victory since UFC 86, when he captured the UFC’s top prize by beating the heavily favored Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by a close decision. Griffin went on a losing streak after capturing the belt, first losing via TKO to Rashad Evans and then getting destroyed by middleweight champion Anderson Silva last summer.
Nogueiera made his UFC debut on the main card of UFC 106, stopping Luiz Cane and earning a monetary bonus for “Knockout of the Night.” The highly-touted Nogueira is the brother of perennial heavyweight contender and PRIDE legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He fighter called “Little Nog” currently holds a six-fight win streak.
This is smart matchmaking, the kind that Joe Silva has become known for during his tenure at the helm of the UFC fight-making ship. Both fighters are top contenders and a victory for either man will instantly give them the credibility they need to be penciled in as a title challenger.
UFC 113 is expected to take place on May 8th at the Bell Centre in Montreal.