Another fight of divisional consequence has been added to UFC 156 on Feb. 2.
Jon Fitch will fight Demian Maia in a welterweight showdown at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on the evening before the Super Bowl.
The bout features two veterans looking to build on recent momentum. Maia (17-4) has won both of his fights since dropping down from middleweight: First a quick win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 148 after Kim suffered a fluke injury; then an impressive neck-crank submission win over Rick Story at UFC 153.
Fitch (24-4-1, 1 no-contest), meanwhile, is looking to return to the form which had him ranked in most pound-for-pound polls as recently as two years ago. After enduring an injury-ravaged year and a half, Fitch turned in one of the most impressive performances of his career at UFC 153, as he defeated up-and-coming star Erick Silva with a Fight of the Night-winning unanimous decision.
UFC officials announced the bout on Thursday.
UFC 156 features several bouts of significance in their divisions: Jose Aldo Jr. defends the featherweight title against Frankie Edgar; light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira meet up; and heavyweight Alistair Overeem is expected to face Antonio Silva, if Overeem is cleared by the Nevada Athletic Commission when his suspension ends.