Anderson Silva has his next fight lined up at UFC Fight Night 83 on Feb. 27, 2016 in London, England against perennial Middleweight contender, Michael Bisping.
The longtime ruler of the 185-pound division has fallen on tough times of late, and is wrapping up a one-year suspension for a failed drug test, following a clash with ex-Strikeforce Welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, at the UFC 183 pay-per-view (PPV) last January.
Despite his downward descent, Silva told UFC.com (via MMA Fighting) that he's anxious to reclaim the Middleweight belt he lost over two years ago.
"I would love this fight to be in Brazil, but it's going to be a pleasure to come back and face Michael Bisping at the sold out O2 Arena in London. It's been a while since I fought in London for the last time, and I'm really excited to be back. I believe this is going to be a big test so I can come back and go after a title shot."
Following his positive tests for steroids and anti-anxiety medication, "The Spider" had his win over Diaz overturned to a "no contest." Overall, he's just 0-2-(1) in his last three outings now.
Previously, Silva was head and shoulders above the Middleweight division for a seven year period between June 2006-July 2013.
The Brazilian will take on "The Count," who never quite made it up the mountain at 185 pounds during his seven-year stint in the division. Of late, Bisping is 3-1 in his last four contests and sports wins over C.B. Dollaway and former title challenger, Thales Leites, in 2015.
Bisping now backtracks on a stance he cultivated a few months ago when he said he won't fight "cheaters."
Silva and Bisping headline the Fight Pass exclusive card after the latter was previously slated to collide with Gegard Mousasi.
"The Dreamcatcher" stated on his Twitter account last week that he will remain on the card in the co-main event against an undetermined opponent.
Stick with MMAmania.com as the UFC Fight Night 83 card continues to take shape.