LAS VEGAS — The Ultimate Fighting Championship appears to have pulled off a remarkable rescue act Thursday as UFC President Dana White announced that mixed martial arts legend Anderson Silva had been drafted to fight Daniel Cormier at UFC 200.
Silva, now 41 but one of the finest fighters in UFC history, agreed to fight Cormier on short notice after the removal of Jon Jones for a positive drug sample. The bout will be a non-title fight.
"I'm going to have to run a lot," Silva joked at a news conference Thursday night.
Brock Lesnar’s clash with Mark Hunt will was shifted to the co-main event. That bout was listed as the main event in the immediate aftermath of Jones' removal from atop the UFC 200 card. The women's bantamweight title fight that features Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes will serve as the main event.
UFC initially denied a report out of Silva's native Brazil that Silva had been tapped to replaced Jones. But later in the day, Silva posted to his Instagram account with a logo of UFC 200 and the caption: "It’s time for Spider." Then came official word from the UFC that a deal had been struck.
Silva said he hadn't been training for a fight this soon, but added he will enter the octagon ready to face Cormier. Silva hasn't fought since February when he lost to Michael Bisping. Days before he was slated to fight Uriah Hall at UFC 198 in May, Silva withdrew from the bout with abdominal pain and later underwent gall bladder surgery.
White said Silva's return was approved by doctors.
Signing Silva to the event represents a mighty salvage job for the UFC hierarchy. While not as appealing as a championship grudge rematch between Cormier and Jones, the addition of such a high-profile name at the last minute was guaranteed to create fresh buzz around an event that had shed some.
Silva won his first 16 fights in the UFC before his streak as middleweight champion was stopped by Chris Weidman in 2013.
Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter @mrogersUSAT.
WATCH: TEARY JONES APOLOGIZES
