Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera heavyweight bout targeted for UFC 164 in Milwaukee

Two UFC veterans are targeted to meet in a fight that could very well send the loser packing from the octagon.

Multiple sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Ben Rothwell (32-9 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Brandon Vera (12-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) are targeted to meet at UFC 164.

UFC 164 takes place Aug. 31 at Bradley Center in Milwaukee and will be the promotion’s second trip to Wisconsin. The main card will air on pay-per-view, though it is not yet know if Rothwell-Vera will be part of the main card or the prelims.

The bout would be Vera’s first in the heavyweight division in more than five years, in addition to his first appearance in 12 months. “The Truth” most recently appeared this past August at UFC on FOX 4, where he fought Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in an unofficial title eliminator. He lost via fourth-round TKO.

Debuting in the UFC as a heavyweight, Vera rocketed up the ranks with four straight wins before losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum sent him to the light heavyweight class. There, he struggled to build momentum, going 4-4 with one no-contest, which arose when his opponent, Thiago Silva, admitted to submitting fake urine for his drug test. 

Rothwell, meanwhile, has hopscotched between wins and losses since his exit from the now-defunct IFL. Notably, he rebounded with a first-round KO of Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 before being submitted in his most recent outing by Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC on FX 7. 

For more on UFC 164, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Ben Rothwell)