Dana White. Photo: Josh Hedges
Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez face off this Saturday at UFC 110 in Australia. If the desire to win is already a matter of course, the organization’s president, Dana White, added yet another ingredient to add even more excitement to the mix. According to the UFC top-brass, the winner of the match will challenge Brock Lesnar for his title on his return to the cage.
Lesnar has been out since his win over Frank Mir at UFC 100 in July of 2009, when he won the heavyweight belt. The fighter suffered through serious health problems and nearly had to abandon his career. Because of this misfortune, Mir faces Shane Carwin at UFC 111 in March, for the interim title. With Lesnar’s return against Nog or Velasquez, the winner will decide the definitive belt against the better of the Mir vs Carwin bout.
“Brock is back among the heavyweights. He is healthy and will fight again. Mir and Carwin will fight for the provisional title, because that fight was already scheduled before Lesnar was sure he would be back,” White said at the press conference before the event in Australia.
“The winner of Nogueira vs Velasquez faces Lesnar, as something may happen to Shane or Mir during their fight,” he adds, not confirming the date for Brock’s return.