UFC moves Frank Mir-Antonio Silva fight from Staples Center to Brazil
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced Wednesday it is moving a scheduled Staples Center heavyweight fight between former champion Frank Mir and former title contender Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva to a Feb. 22 main event in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The shift was required because light-heavyweight Glover Teixeira suffered a knee injury, forcing his bout against former light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans to be scrapped. It’s uncertain when that bout will be rescheduled.
Mir (16-9) has twice possessed the UFC’s heavyweight title. He lost it in a rematch with Brock Lesnar in 2009, and has lost two other title shots since. His May 2012 defeat to then-champion Junior Dos Santos has been followed by three other losses.
Silva (18-6) has lost three consecutive fights, starting with his May 2013 defeat to UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez by first-round technical knockout.
The Feb. 28 Staples Center card offers two title fights: middleweight Chris Weidman’s defense against veteran Vitor Belfort, and women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s bout against No. 1 contender Cat Zingano.
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