In a very interesting main event match-up, former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy “The Natural” Couture will face Brandon “The Truth” Vera in a light heavyweight showdown at UFC 105 in Manchester, England on Nov. 14 according to a report from the Daily Telegraph.
The fight announcement comes on the heels of Couture recently signing a new multi-fight contract with the UFC just prior to his last bout at UFC 102 against Minotauro Nogueira in which he lost a unanimous decision. Vera also was on the UFC 102 card, but he came away with a unanimous decison victory over his opponent Krzysztof Soszynski.
There are reports the UFC originally approached Rashad Evans for the UFC 105 fight against Couture (since his bout with Rampage is now off), but he turned it down. Vera did not.
The bout will mark Couture’s U.K. debut as well as his first fight at light heavyweight since his 2006 loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57. The UFC Hall of Famer is still ranked among the top ten heavyweights in the world, but chances are he will finish out his career at light heavyweight.
The fight is a huge test for Vera who looked great against Soszynski. Some may wonder if The Truth “deserves” a fight against the legend Couture. However, with Couture dropping his last two bouts and with his record falling to 16-10, the answer should be evident.
Other fights tentatively scheduled for UFC 105 include the return of England’s Michael Bisping as he takes on Denis Kang, Dan Hardy vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Aaron Riley vs. Ross Pearson, Paul Taylor vs. John Hathaway, and Terry Etim vs. Shannon Gugerty.