The UFC will return to Las Vegas later this fall to feature one of the most anticipated title bouts of the year, as Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, will challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137.
MMAJunkie.com confirms the Nevada Athletic State Commission has approved the bout, and has targeted the Mandalay Bay to host the event on Oct. 29.
Along with the official announcement, UFC president Dana White added that Diaz will vacate his title in order to challenge St-Pierre, a clause in his contract that has granted him the opportunity, as well as having the option to return to Strikeforce should he not defeat the champion.
Diaz will enter the bout on a ten-fight win streak, capturing victories over such competitors as Paul Daley and Evengelista “Cyborg” Santos. The appearance will be Diaz’s first time inside the Octagon since 2006, after he was released by from the organization after posting a 6-4 record, and has gone 11-1 since then.
St-Pierre is arguably the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter, and he will be making his seventh title defense against Diaz. The French-Canadian has also enjoyed an impressive streak of his own, going on a nine-fight win streak after losing the welterweight title to Matt Serra in 2007. Since his loss to Serra, St-Pierre has won 16 of his last 17 bouts, earning wins over the likes of BJ Penn, Jon Fitch and most recently, Jake Shields.
Both competitors have essentially cleaned out their respective divisions, and will finally meet each other at UFC 137, with the winner undoubtedly emerging as the top welterweight in mixed martial arts.
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