Report: Mark Hunt vs. 'Bigfoot' Silva 2 targeted for November's UFC 193 in Australia

Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva

A rematch of one of the bloodiest fights in recent memory appears to be headed to Australia this fall.

Mark Hunt (10-10-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) and Antonio Silva (19-7-1 MMA, 3-4-1 UFC), according to recent reports, will run it back at UFC 193 in November. MMAfighting.com and FOXSports.com recently reported that verbal commitments are in place for the rematch.

UFC 193 takes place Sunday, Nov. 15, in Melbourne, Australia, though a venue hasn’t been finalized (the UFC has reserved both Etihad Stadium and Rod Laver Arena). Due to the time difference, the pay-per-view main card, which precedes prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass, airs in the U.S. on Saturday, Nov. 14. UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler meets Carlos Condit in the main event.

Hunt and “Bigfoot” first fought in the main event of UFC Fight Night 33, which took place in Brisbane, Australia, in December 2013. The fight ended in a majority draw. One judge had the fight 48-47 for Hunt, while two others scored it a 47-47 draw.

The five-round heavyweight war was given “Fight of the Night” honors, but in the wake of the event, Silva tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. He was suspended for nine months, and Hunt received Silva’s $50,000 bonus money.

After that fight, Hunt picked up another bonus with a knockout of Roy Nelson in the main event of UFC Fight night 52 in Japan. Then he fought Fabricio Werdum for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 180 in November 2014. He lost that fight by second-round TKO. In May in Australia, he was stopped midway through the fifth round by Stipe Miocic.

After Silva seres his suspension, he returned in September 2014 in a main event against Andrei Arlovski in his native Brazil. There, Arlovski pulled off an upset with a first-round knockout. “Bigfoot” then headlined another card in his home country in February, but was stopped, again in the first round, by Frank Mir. But at UFC 190 earlier this month, “Bigfoot” picked up his first win since February 2013 when he stopped Soa Palelei with a second-round TKO in Rio de Janeiro.

For more on UFC 193, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.