Nogueira-Velasquez will headline UFC card in January, White says

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Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White just told The Times he’ll headline the Jan. 2 UFC card in Las Vegas on Jan. 2 with a heavyweight bout featuring former champion and MMA veteran Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. rising star Cain Velasquez.

Nogueira defeated Randy Couture earlier this year, and Velasquez scored a TKO over Ben Rothwell last month at Staples Center.

The Jan. 2 card was weakened when an elbow injury forced middleweight champion Anderson Silva to delay his title defense against Vitor Belfort while heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar was stricken by mononucleosis.

The Nogueira-Velasquez winner will be the logical next opponent of the winner of Lesnar’s rescheduled bout against Shane Carwin.

-- Lance Pugmire