'UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold' official for Brazil in May with 13 fights

The four-fight main card for the UFC’s next show in Brazil now is official.

UFC on FX 8 takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul. The event’s main card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook. The main event is a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) and final Strikeforce 185-pound champion Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

UFC officials recently made official the 13-fight card, which will be the promotion’s seventh in Brazil since returning to the country in August 2011.

Belfort returns to Brazil following his second-round knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7 in January. After that win, he called out light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Instead, he’ll get Rockhold, who has won nine straight, including two defenses of the Strikeforce middleweight title before moving to the UFC with the merger of the two promotions. He most recently fought in July, taking a unanimous decision from Tim Kennedy.

Rounding out the main card on FX are middleweight bouts between Constantinos Philippou (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Ronaldo Souza (17-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), plus C.B. Dollaway (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) vs. Cezar Ferreira (5-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), and a lightweight bout between Rafael dos Anjos (18-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Evan Dunham (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC).

FUEL TV gets a six-fight preliminary card that features previously reported bouts between Hacran Dias (21-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Manny Gamburyan (12-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) at featherweight; Mike Rio (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at lightweight; featherweights Yuri Alcantara (27-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Marcos Vinicius (20-4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC); welterweights Lance Benoist (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) vs. Paulo Thiago (14-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC); Azamat Gashimov (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. John Lineker (20-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at flyweight; and a light heavyweight bout featuring Roger Hollett (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC).

Prior to the televised prelims on FUEL TV, the UFC will stream three other prelims on Facebook. John Cholish (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) meets Gleison Tibau (26-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) at lightweight; Chris Cariaso (14-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Jussier Formiga (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at flyweight; and lightweights Jeremy Larsen (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Lucas Martins (12-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will open the card.

The full UFC on FX 8 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (FX, 9 p.m. ET)

• Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold
• Constantinos Philippou vs. Ronaldo Souza
• C.B. Dollaway vs. Cezar Ferreira
• Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV, 6 p.m. ET)

• Hacran Dias vs. Manvel Gamburyan
• Mike Rio vs. Francisco Trinaldo
• Yuri Alcantara vs. Marcos Vinícius
• Lance Benoist vs. Paulo Thiago
• Azamat Gashimov vs. John Lineker
• Roger Hollet vs. Fabio Maldonado

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• John Cholish vs. Gleison Tibau
• Chris Cariaso vs. Jussier Formiga
• Jeremy Larsen vs. Lucas Martins

For the latest on UFC on FX 8, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Luke Rockhold)