The Spider is back.
UFC President Dana White has announced that UFC legend Anderson Silva will be returning to the Octagon and facing Derek Brunson at UFC 208, which takes place on February 11 in Brooklyn, New York.
Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs Derek Brunson #UFC208 in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/wvCVA9utTi
— Dana White (@danawhite) January 13, 2017
It’ll be the first time we’ve seen Silva since his loss to UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier as a last minute replacement at UFC 200. Brunson was also last seen leaving the Octagon on a defeat, losing to Robert Whittaker last November.
Anderson finds himself in unfamiliar territory these days, having not been victorious since 2012 (his victory over Nick Diaz in 2015 was overturned to a no contest after a failed drugs test). In comparison, prior to his Whittaker loss, Brunson was on a five fight win streak.
The bout has come as something as a surprise to fans, but adds some much needed depth to UFC 208, which is currently headlined by Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie in a fight for the first ever women’s UFC featherweight title. It’s as yet unknown if that shall remain the main event, or if the UFC is continuing to add to the event.
