We’ve known for a few weeks that the UFC’s long-awaited return to Cincinnati will happen May 10, and now we know who will be headlining the card. UFC Fight Night’s main event will feature Ohio’s own Matt Brown against Brazil’s Erick Silva. Fox Sports first broke the news of the fight on Monday afternoon, and UFC confirmed it shortly thereafter.
Cincinnati’s Brown (18-11) was supposed to have faced Carlos Condit back in December at UFC on FOX 9 in Sacramento, but a back injury forced him to withdraw from the fight. Now cleared to resume training, Brown will look to make it seven wins in a row in the UFC’s welterweight division, having last fought in August (a quick knockout of Mike Pyle). This will mark only the second time in his 16-fight UFC career that Brown has fought in his native Ohio. The last time he did was at UFC 96 against Pete Sell in Columbus. He won that bout via TKO in 92 seconds.
As for the 29-year old Silva (16-4-1), he will try and make it consecutive wins after knocking out Takenori Sato on February 15. Though the Brazilian has flashed a lot of potential in the 170-pound weight class, he’s been up and down for the last couple of years, going 3-3 since being disqualified against Carlo Prater at UFC 142 in January 2012. Of his victories, though, his last six have come via finishes (three subs, three KOs).
The last time the UFC went to Cincinnati was six-and-a-half years ago, when local former champion Rich Franklin tried to recapture his belt against Anderson Silva at UFC 77. Same as that time, UFC Fight Night 40 will take place at U.S. Bank Arena.
Other confirmed bouts for the card include a lightweight fight between Erik Koch and Detroit’s Daron Cruickshank, a bantamweight tilt between Ian Wineland and Johnny Eduardo, and a middleweight clash between Costas Philippou and Lorenz Larkin.