So much for Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II up next.
The UFC announced Saturday that Sonnen will face Mark Munoz in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago, IL, on Saturday, January 28th. It will be a no. 1 contender’s bout with the winner getting the next shot at Silva.
The announcement also confirmed that Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis will be the main event and also a No.1 contender’s bout for the winner of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.
A public press conference is set for this Wednesday at 2 pm EST featuring all four men and UFC President Dana White. Tickets go on sale next Friday for the event, which begins at 8 pm EST on Fox. The broadcast will run for two hours.
Other fights that have reportedly been signed but not yet confirmed include Evan Dunham vs. Paul Sass, Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland, Cody McKenzie vs. Michael Johnson and Jon Olav Einemo vs. Mike Russow.
Sonnen (26-11-1) returned to action in October after a year-plug long layoff, submitting Brian Stann in the second round at UFC 136. He fought Silva in August 2010 and had the upper hand for the majority of the fight before getting caught in a triangle choke halfway in the fifth round which he tapped to.
A rematch between the two was believed to be set after Sonnen’s recent win, but Silva is still recovering from a shoulder injury and is believed to be held aside for a major outdoor show in Brazil next summer.
Munoz (12-2) got into top contention on his recent four-win streak with recent victories over contenders Demian Maia and Chris Leben. The hard-hitting Munoz is 7-2 in his UFC career and has been petitioning for a shot at Silva since his November win over Leben.