Middleweight mixed martial artist Ivan Salaverry (12-4) will return to the Octagon to face Terry Martin (15-2) at UFC 71 on May 26, according to the latest rumor from MMAWeekly.com.
The 36-year-old Canadian was one of the bigger-named fighters, along with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Ryoto Machida, the UFC acquired from the World Fighting Alliance (WFA) late last year.
Salaverry holds a 3-2 record in the Octagon, with his last UFC fight against Nathan Marquardt — a unanimous decision loss — at UFC Ultimate Fight Night in August 2006 -- a match up that fell way short of expectations for both fighters.
His last appearance was in July 2006 at the first and only WFA event, at which he scored a technical knockout of Art Santore in round two.
Martin, of course, ended his last fight against Jorge Rivera at UFC 67 in 14 seconds, knocking out the former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4 contestant and sending him to the hospital with some broken bones in his face.
The former light heavyweight is 1-2 in the Octagon, has tremendous punching power, and is extremely confident at 185.
With a win over a crafty veteran like Salaverry, Martin would be on his way to making a name for himself early in 2007 as a dangerous opponent within a crowded division.
Either way, it's good to see Ivan return ... it was a mistake letting him go in the first place.
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