Memorial Day weekend just got a little bigger.
Revitalized bruiser Mark Hunt and Dutch knockout artist Stefan Struve have agreed to meet at UFC 146, slated for May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. UFC officials confirmed the match-up on Wednesday morning, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole.
The contest rounds out an all heavyweight main card, featuring a title bout, Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem, a number-one contenders match, Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir, and a pair of barnburners, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva vs. Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane del Rosario. UFC mainstays Dan Hardy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Edson Barboza and Diego Brandao highlight the night’s undercard.
Hunt (8-7) returns with his first win streak since 2006 in tow, after blazing through upset victories over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo. The 37-year-old New Zealander, who was initially given a UFC fight due to an unresolved contract situation, now surprisingly finds himself perched on the ledge of contendership, and could conceivably enter the title picture with another win.
Struve (23-5), meanwhile, has carved out his place in the UFC’s heavyweight division while tasting victory in seven of his last nine contests, six of which ended by way of finish. At just 24 years old, “Skyscraper” appears to be hitting his stride and enters the UFC 146 match-up sporting a two-fight win streak over Pat Barry and Dave Herman.