A pair of middleweights looking to reverse their most-recent fortunes will meet in the Octagon in January when the UFC returns to the state of Georgia.
UFC President Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference at UFC 167 on Saturday night that Strikeforce veteran Luke Rockhold and Costa Philippou would face one another at UFC Fight Night 35 on January 15, 2014. That bout is set to headline the event, which is set to take place at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. That event’s main card is expected to air on Fox Sports 1.
Rockhold, 29, is the last Strikeforce middleweight champion and most recently competed at UFC on FX 8 in May. The bout was his UFC debut and he was stopped with strikes by Vitor Belfort in the first round. He holds a record of 10-2 in professional MMA.
Philippou, 33, last fought at UFC 165 in September where he dropped a unanimous decision victory to Francis Carmont. He holds a professional record of 12-3 with 1 no-contest.