8 Fights Official for UFC 132

Former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Wanderlei Silva will lock horns with Chris Leben in a featured middleweight matchup at UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber” on July 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Eight fights are now official for the event, which will air live on pay-per-view.

Silva (Pictured; file photo), who underwent reconstructive knee surgery last summer, has not fought since UFC 110 in February 2010, when he outpointed “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping en route to a unanimous decision at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. The 34-year-old Brazilian has not won back-to-back fights in nearly five years. Long revered for his violent style and aggressive approach, Silva has secured 23 of his 33 career victories by knockout or technical knockout. Wins over Japanese pioneer Kazushi Sakuraba (thrice), one-time UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (twice) and former two-division Pride titleholder Dan Henderson anchor his resume. A future hall of famer, Silva owns a 3-5 mark inside the UFC. “The Axe Murderer” was a semifinalist in the 2006 Pride open weight grand prix.

Based in Hawaii, Leben has won three of his last four fights. The 30-year-old Portland, Ore., native last competed at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day, when he succumbed to first-round strikes from former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann. A three-time “Knockout of the Night” award winner, Leben has delivered more than half (13) of his 25 professional wins by knockout or technical knockout. He owns notable victories over former Sengoku Raiden Championship titleholder Jorge Santiago, American Kickboxing Academy representative Mike Swick, American Top Team’s Alessio Sakara and 2006 K-1 Hero’s light heavyweight tournament winner Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Meanwhile, “Bully Beatdown” host Jason “Mayhem” Miller will make his first UFC appearance since April 2005, when he meets Aaron Simpson in a preliminary middleweight matchup.

Miller will carry a two-fight winning streak into the cage. The 30-year-old last fought at Dream 16 in September, when he became the first man in nearly 15 years to submit Sakuraba, doing so with a first-round arm-triangle choke at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan. Colorful, charismatic and controversial, Miller counts wins over former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler, UFC veteran Frank Trigg and one-time Strikeforce middleweight title contender Tim Kennedy among his 24 professional victories. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, he has 14 submissions to his credit.

A late bloomer in MMA, Simpson was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Arizona State University. The 36-year-old Colorado native halted a two-fight losing streak at UFC Fight Night 24 in March, when he took a unanimous decision from Mario Miranda at the KeyArena in Seattle. Simpson sports a 4-2 mark inside the Octagon, with wins over Tim McKenzie, Tom Lawlor and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 finalist Ed Herman.

A bantamweight title bout pairing champion Dominick Cruz with Urijah Faber will headline UFC 132. The event will also feature a showdown pitting former 205-pound kingpin Tito Ortiz against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner Ryan Bader and a key welterweight tilt matching former WEC champion Carlos Condit with the unbeaten Dong Hyun Kim.

UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber”
Saturday, July 2
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas

UFC Bantamweight Championship
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben
Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz
Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman
Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller
Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Aaron Simpson
* Erik Koch vs. Cub Swanson
* Andre Winner vs. Anthony Njokuani
* George Sotiropoulos vs. Rafael dos Anjos

* Not Official