Wanderlei Silva Says Akiyama Fight Coming Soon; Rematch With Michael Bisping to Follow

“I know I’m going to fight soon,” said the former Pride champion. “I’m going to have a great surprise for my fans what date I’m going to fight. I’m so close to signing my next fight, we’ll talk about things a little bit more, and I think I’m going to be fighting soon.”

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“It’s a great match because he’s an incredible fighter. He’s got an Olympic gold medal. He’s had great performances in Dream in Japan, (he’s) very famous there,” Silva commented about Akiyama. “I think it’s a great opportunity, one more really tough opponent, and I’m going to prove in the future it’s possible I can be with the best fighters in 185.”

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“The next is (Akiyama) and he is number one, and the number two is Bisping because I’m going to give a rematch to him,” said Silva.

- Wanderlei Silva talks to MMA Weekly

The rumor is that Silva vs. Akiyama will be added to the UFC on Versus event as a late replacement. They’ve got an open main card slot on that show and Silva/Akiyama would be a great fit assuming both men are feeling confident that they can be ready in time.