Brazil’s first UFC event of 2016 will be one to remember, as former light heavyweight champion Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort looks to make his case for another shot at the middleweight title when he faces countryman and former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza on Saturday, May 14.

The five-round main event will headline a FOX Sports 1-televised card to take place at a site to be named shortly. Stay tuned to UFC.com for venue information, ticket on-sale dates and more fight card announcements.

Jacare

Fresh from a November knockout of Dan Henderson that concluded the trilogy between the two MMA superstars, Belfort has now won four of his last five bouts, a stretch that includes a knockout of current UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. But to get that rematch with the champ, the 38-year-old Belfort must turn back the challenge of ground wizard Souza, who has gone 8-1 in his last nine bouts, with the only defeat a controversial split decision at the hands of Yoel Romero in December.

Late last year, Dana White was working on setting up Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort 2 in early 2016 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Silva defeated Belfort back in 2011 at UFC 126, by a highlight reel front kick in the first round.

The fight was eventually dropped, and Silva replaced by Jacare.

Before the fight was cancelled, Silva’s training partner, Jacare had advised the Spider to wait before facing the dangerous Belfort:

“I believe the result would be the same,” Souza said of a potential Silva-Belfort rematch during a UFC 194 media day in Rio de Janeiro. “Anderson is impressive, but, in my opinion, as a friend and seeing him as guy that is helping me now, I think he should fight again before fighting Belfort to get his rhythm back.
“Belfort is in a strong rhythm now, he fought three times in a row now. Anderson spent some time off, had this issue now and spent a year off, so I think Anderson should fight again first.”

Source: UFC.com