Gabriel Gonzaga and rising heavyweight prospect Junior dos Santos are scheduled to meet at UFC 108.
Fighters.com was the first to report the bout, and Heavy.com has since confirmed with parties close to both fighters that a verbal agreement has been reached.
Gonzaga was rumored to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on the same card, but as Inside Fights reported last week, Nogueira is currently scheduled to face the winner of the Brock Lesnar/Shane Carwin bout.
Dos Santos recently earned a stoppage win over the legendary Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 103 in Dallas, TX. He’s considered one of the fastest-rising prospects in the heavyweight division, and a win over Gonzaga could place him in the heavyweight championship picture for 2010.
Gonzaga last competed at UFC 102 in August, where he landed a TKO victory over Brock Lesnar training partner Chris Tuchscherer.
UFC 108 will take place Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, most likely at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The current UFC 108 card:
- Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC middleweight championship)
- Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
- Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior dos Santos
- Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout
- Dan Lauzon vs. Cole Miller