Israel Adesanya, Anderson Silva to Clash at UFC 234 in Melbourne on Feb. 9

Rising prospect Israel Adesanya will lock horns with former middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 234.

The promotion confirmed the 185-pound booking to ESPN on Saturday night. UFC 234 takes place at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 9 and is expected to feature a middleweight championship clash between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum.

Adesanya has established himself as one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars while compiling a 15-0 professional mark. “The Last Stylebender” is 4-0 in the Octagon, including a first-round TKO of Derek Brunson in his last outing at UFC 230.

Silva, meanwhile, is returning from a one-year USADA suspension for a failed drug test ahead of a proposed bout against Gastelum at UFC Fight Night 122. The 43-year-old Brazilian hasn’t competed since February 2017, when he ended a five-bout winless streak with a contentious decision win against Brunson at UFC 208.