Dana White: Nate Marquardt replaces Vitor Belfort in UFC 122 headliner (Updated)

Fresh off a UFC Fight Night 22 victory over Rousimar Palhares, Nate Marquardt (30-9-2 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has replaced Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and now meets Yushin Okami (25-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in the headliner of November's UFC 122 event.

UFC president Dana White today announced the change via Twitter.

As UFC executives officially announced earlier this week, UFC 122 takes place Nov. 13 at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, and airs via same-day delay on Spike TV.

Although initially reported as injured, Belfort, in fact, is healthy, as White confirmed via Twitter. And as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, Belfort is now slated to get a title shot with middleweight champ Anderson Silva in early 2011, possibly at UFC 125.

Officials announced Belfort vs. Okami would serve as a title eliminator and determine a No. 1 contender. And given Marquardt's standing in the division, the bout is likely to keep that designation.

Marquardt's victory over Palhares, which came after the Brazilian slipped on an attempted leg lock and left himself open to punches, was his fourth win in five fights. It also moved him to 5-2 since he fell short to champ Anderson Silva in his first title shot.

Okami, who long has flirted with title contention, most recently earned a split-decision win over Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 2. It was his his fifth win in his past six fights, which included additional victories over Lucio Linhares, Dean Lister, Evan Tanner and Jason MacDonald. The lone loss came to Chael Sonnen, who had been promised an immediate rematch but now is dealing with the aftermath of a failed drug test following a loss to Silva at UFC 117.

For more on UFC 122, including the latest rumored fight card, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Nate Marquardt)

(UPDATED on 9/22/10 at 1 p.m. ET with news of the Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort matchup and confirmation Belfort isn't injured.)

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Champ Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort targeted for 2011, possibly UFC 125 (Updated)

As it turns out, Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) isn't injured. And, in fact, he's expected to meet UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC) early next year, possibly in the headliner of a UFC 125 event on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas.

Sources close to the event, including Belfort's manager, today confirmed the tentative plans with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Belfort had been scheduled to fight Yushin Okami in the headliner of November's UFC 122 event before a recent card change.

Instead, Okami now fights recent UFC Fight Night 22 winner Nate Marquardt. Although initially believed to be injured, Belfort is, in fact, healthy, according to a recent Twitter post from UFC president Dana White. Belfort now will bypass the No. 1 contender's bout at UFC 122 for an immediate title shot with Silva.

UFC 125 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and the night's main card airs on pay-per-view. The event currently needs a headliner, and Silva vs. Belfort certainly fits the bill.

"We shall immediately sign the contract for the bout once the date is confirmed," Fabiano Farah, Belfort's manager, today stated in an email to MMAjunkie.com.

Belfort, of course, takes a slot initially designated for Chael Sonnen (25-11-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC), who dominated Silva for more than four rounds at UFC 117 before succumbing to a triangle choke in the final two minutes of the fight. Sonnen had been promised an immediate rematch, but he failed his UFC 117 drug test, which he plans to appeal. The process could go well into 2011 before it's resolved.

Belfort had been promised an earlier promised title shot. However, when he was sidelined by a shoulder injury, Demian Maia and then Sonnen got shots at Silva's belt. Nevertheless, Belfort is riding a five-fight win streak, and in his most recent bout at UFC 103, he returned to the UFC for the first time in four years and scored a first-round knockout of Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catchweight bout.

Silva, meanwhile, moved to 12-0 in the organization and made his record seventh straight UFC title defense with the August win over Sonnen. He's now won 13 straight fights and 15 of his past 16 while dominating the elite of the middleweight division. All but two of the wins came via stoppage.

For more on UFC 125, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Vitor Belfort)

(Updated on 9/22/10 at 3:10 p.m. ET with confirmation and a quote from Belfort's manager.)

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