Top middleweight contenders Chris Weidman and Tim Boetsch will meet in a featured bout at UFC 155 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas.
The UFC announced that verbal agreements were in place for the matchup for the organization’s traditional New Year’s Eve weekend show.
“I think I’m the No. 1 contender in the division but with (UFC middleweight) Anderson (Silva) not fighting for the rest of 2012, I want to stay busy and keep getting better,” Weidman said on the UFC’s website. “I think I’m the best middleweight in the world and I’m going to prove it against another top contender.”
The fight could ostensibly be for a shot at the 185-pound title held by Silva, but whether the winner will ever get that fight is unclear. Silva has expressed little interest in facing either Weidman or Boetsch, who are both undefeated at middleweight, and has publicly said he wants to fight UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre next.
Then UFC president Dana White said they plan to have those two meet at 180-pound catchweight next year should St-Pierre successfully defend his belt against interim champ Carlos Condit later this year. It’s conceivable that Silva could retire after that.
Weidman (9-0) has won all five of his fights in the UFC and appeared to announce his candidacy as the No. 1 challenger with an impressive and brutal knockout of Mark Munoz on July 11.
Boetsch (16-4) is unbeaten in four fights since dropping to 185 pounds. At UFC 149 on July 21, he earned a split-decision win over the highly-touted Hector Lombard, making things a little cloudier as to who deserved the next title shot.
Also announced for the year-end show, which is headlined by the heavyweight title bout between champion Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, is another heavyweight bout between Phil De Fries (9-1) and Matt Mitrione (5-1).
