Mixed martial arts veteran and PRIDE FC standout, Ryo Chonan (14-7), could make his Octagon debut at UFC 78 on November 17, according to FightNetwork.com.
No potential opponent was mentioned in the report.
Here's a snip:
"Ryo Chonan is also believed to be in the mix for the UFC 78 card. Chonan, the last man to defeat UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, beat Seo Do Wong at a DEEP event in June."
That's right, Chonan is one of four men to topple the current 185-pound titleholder, defeating "The Spider" with the craziest flying scissor heal hook imaginable at PRIDE Shockwave 2004.
The "Piranha" has competed against some of the top names in the sport, including Hayato Sakurai (win), Carlos Newton (win), Dan Henderson (loss), Phil Baroni (loss), Joey Villasenor (win) and Paulo Filho (loss), among others.
He's an exciting Japanese fighter who would no doubt add instant depth and experience to a division that needs it perhaps more than any other in the organization. It would also mean that Silva would have two opportunities to avenge losses (Yushin Okami being the other).
This is great news for the fans if it turns out to be accurate — yet another high profile fighter coming to the UFC.
UFC 78 is booked for the Prudential Arena in Newark, N.J. For the latest fight card click here.
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