Anderson Silva returns to UFC octagon on Feb. 27 to fight Michael Bisping

Former longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Anderson Silva will return from his suspension for performance-enhancing drug use Feb. 27 in London against England’s Michael Bisping, the UFC announced Thursday.

The UFC “Fight Night” card will be televised by the company’s subscription service, Fight Pass.

Silva was suspended one year and fined nearly $400,000, and his Jan. 31 victory over Nick Diaz at MGM Grand in Las Vegas was ruled a no-contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after Silva submitted pre-fight blood and urine that tested positive for steroids drostanolone and androstane and two other prohibited substances.

Brazil’s Silva (34-6), who reigned as middleweight champion from 2006 until a knockout loss to Chris Weidman in 2013, argued before the Nevada commission that his positive results stemmed from his use of a sexual enhancement substance that he was embarrassed to disclose in a pre-test questionnaire.

The 40-year-old Silva dominated the lethargic Diaz in his last fight, which was Silva’s first since breaking his leg on a kick that was checked by Weidman in their December 2013 rematch.

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Bisping (28-7), the UFC’s seventh-ranked middleweight, has won three of his last four fights. The loss was to current middleweight champion Luke Rockhold by second-round submission in November 2014. Bisping defeated former middleweight title challenger Thales Leites by split decision on July 18.

Twitter: @latimespugmire

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