Wanderlei Silva, Brian Stann on Target for UFC on Fuel TV 8 Main Event in Japan

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Once a staple of the Japanese mixed martial arts scene, Wanderlei Silva has returned to his old stomping grounds.

Silva tipped the scales at 204 pounds for his light heavyweight battle with former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Brian Stann (206) in the UFC on Fuel TV 8 main event on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Nine of the 10 other fighters tapped for duty on the main card, including heavyweight co-headliners Mark Hunt (266) and Stefan Struve (260), also met their contracted weight requirements without incident at Friday’s official weigh-in.

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Sherdog Fantasy MMA: UFC on Fuel TV 8 Free Fan Pick’Em

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Now 36 and in the twilight of his illustrious career, Silva last appeared at UFC 147 in June, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Rich Franklin at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It was his seventh defeat in 10 bouts. Silva has secured more than half (24) of his 34 career triumphs by knockout or technical knockout. Wins over onetime UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (twice), 1992 Olympic gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida (twice) and former two-division Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Dan Henderson anchor his stellar resume, along with three victories against Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba. Silva owns a 4-7 mark inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Stann last fought at UFC 152 in September, when he lost a unanimous decision to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Affiliated with Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in New Mexico, the 32-year-old sports eight first-round finishes on his ledger. Stann has compiled a 6-4 record since joining the UFC in 2009.

UFC on Fuel TV 8 -- which airs live on Fuel TV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT -- also features a lightweight clash pitting Takanori Gomi (156) against Diego Sanchez (*158), a middleweight duel pairing Yushin Okami (185) with Hector Lombard (186), a featherweight tilt matching Mizuto Hirota (146) with Rani Yahya (146) and a welterweight battle between Dong Hyun Kim (171) and Siyar Bahadurzada (171).

Three hours prior, the five remaining preliminary bouts will stream to the UFC’s Facebook: Riki Fukuda (186) vs. Brad Tavares (185), Takeya Mizugaki (136) vs. Bryan Caraway (135), Cristiano Marcello (156) vs. Kazuki Tokudome (155), Alex Caceres (136) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (135) and Marcelo Guimaraes (171) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (171).

UFC on Fuel TV 8 Weigh-In Results:

Wanderlei Silva (204) vs. Brian Stann (206)
Mark Hunt (266) vs. Stefan Struve (260)
Takanori Gomi (156) vs. Diego Sanchez (*158)
Yushin Okami (185) vs. Hector Lombard (186)
Mizuto Hirota (146) vs. Rani Yahya (146)
Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (171)
Riki Fukuda (186) vs. Brad Tavares (185)
Takeya Mizugaki (136) vs. Bryan Caraway (135)
Cristiano Marcello (156) vs. Kazuki Tokudome (155)
Alex Caceres (136) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (135)
Marcelo Guimaraes (171) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (171)

* Sanchez failed to make weight and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse, reports Karyn Bryant of Fuel TV.