Post by chrispage on Jan 13, 2010 11:47:21 GMT -5
Source: MMA Junkie
Out of action since an October 2008 title loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Canadian fighter Patrick Cote (13-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) makes his return at UFC 113 in May to fight Alan Belcher (15-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC).
Cote announced his event participation on Twitter earlier today, a day after Belcher posted a message announcing he had signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC.
UFC 113, which makes the UFC's third annual trip to Montreal, takes place May 1 at the Bell Centre and airs on pay-per-view.
The UFC has not officially announced the bout, which was first reported by TopMMANews.com.
Following the loss to Silva, Cote underwent surgery for a meniscus tear and expected to return in the fall of 2009. However, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported in August, another knee injury pushed back the return date.
Now healed, he'll return from a 19-month layoff to fight in his home country against Belcher. The two fighters were actually slated to fight at UFC 83, which marked the UFC's first event in Montreal and Canada, but Cote was forced off the April 2008 card with an injury.
Cote, who was the middleweight runner-up on a special "comeback" fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," posted five consecutive wins (three of which came in the UFC) after the show to earn the title shot. One of the victories came over Ricardo Almeida, who entered the bout with a seven-fight win streak over a six-year span.
Belcher, who makes his 10th octagon appearance, could enter the middleweight title picture with a win over Cote. The striker has won three of his past four bouts with wins over Ed Herman, Denis Kang and Wilson Gouveia. He's earned two Fight of the Night bonuses and a Submission of the Night award in his past three fights that have totaled $205,000 in extra pay.
Very good first opponent for his first fight back. Belcher is rising the MW ladder very quickly and a win over Cote would put him really up there in contention.
Out of action since an October 2008 title loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Canadian fighter Patrick Cote (13-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) makes his return at UFC 113 in May to fight Alan Belcher (15-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC).
Cote announced his event participation on Twitter earlier today, a day after Belcher posted a message announcing he had signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC.
UFC 113, which makes the UFC's third annual trip to Montreal, takes place May 1 at the Bell Centre and airs on pay-per-view.
The UFC has not officially announced the bout, which was first reported by TopMMANews.com.
Following the loss to Silva, Cote underwent surgery for a meniscus tear and expected to return in the fall of 2009. However, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported in August, another knee injury pushed back the return date.
Now healed, he'll return from a 19-month layoff to fight in his home country against Belcher. The two fighters were actually slated to fight at UFC 83, which marked the UFC's first event in Montreal and Canada, but Cote was forced off the April 2008 card with an injury.
Cote, who was the middleweight runner-up on a special "comeback" fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," posted five consecutive wins (three of which came in the UFC) after the show to earn the title shot. One of the victories came over Ricardo Almeida, who entered the bout with a seven-fight win streak over a six-year span.
Belcher, who makes his 10th octagon appearance, could enter the middleweight title picture with a win over Cote. The striker has won three of his past four bouts with wins over Ed Herman, Denis Kang and Wilson Gouveia. He's earned two Fight of the Night bonuses and a Submission of the Night award in his past three fights that have totaled $205,000 in extra pay.
Very good first opponent for his first fight back. Belcher is rising the MW ladder very quickly and a win over Cote would put him really up there in contention.
