Thiago Silva stands over Keith Jardine - Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
It appears that Brandon Vera jumped the gun when he informed the UFC that he was ready to fight and wanted a rematch with the recently-reinstated Thiago Silva for his next bout. Although matchmaker Joe Silva granted Vera's request and booked the rematch for UFC on FX 3 in Virginia on May 15th, Vera went to the doctor after the fight was agreed-to only to find out that he could not be cleared to fight yet. Vera later apologized to the fans and the UFC for getting ahead of himself, but Joe Silva was already busy finding a replacement for Vera and now it appears he has one in Igor Pokrajac, according to a report from MMA Weekly:
With Brandon Vera sidelined due to injury, Thiago Silva will now face Croatian Igor Pokrajac at UFC on FX 3 in May. Sources close to the fight confirmed the new bout to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday with bout agreements issued for the May 15 light heavyweight tilt.
Pokrajac has quietly put together the first back-to-back wins of his UFC careers, most recently knocking out Krzysztof Soszynski in a mild upset in December (a loss that convinced Soszynski to retire as well), which followed a TKO win over Todd Brown last March. The Croatian kickboxing specialist is a longtime training partner of Mirko Cro Cop, but he also incorporates a solid BJJ game into his skill-set, which is not something Cro Cop was known for.
Silva, one of the most fearsome fighters in the UFC, was struggling to get his career back on track at the time of the Vera fight, having gone 1-2 after starting his career at 13-0, but an altered urine sample only derailed those hopes and earned him a No Contest in the Vera fight, which he otherwise dominated, and a one-year suspension. Now having fully served his suspension, the American Top Team fighter who combines excellent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills with vicious Muay Thai will have to push that Vera rematch out of his mind and instead focus on Pokrajac.
Igor "The Duke" Pokrajac (24-8)
W Krzysztof Soszynski (KO) - UFC 140
W Todd Brown (TKO) - UFC on Versus 3
L Stephan Bonnar (unam. decision) - TUF 12 Finale
Thiago Silva (14-2, 1 NC)
NC Brandon Vera - UFC 125
L Rashad Evans (unam. decision) - UFC 108
W Keith Jardine (KO) - UFC 102
0 recs | 34 comments
a healthy silva beats the piss outta pokrajac
milk72 - February 8, 2012
definitely.
Ak.Death - February 8, 2012
I just can’t wait to see Silva fight… I would be extremely happy if he just walks through this guy.
NickaG - February 8, 2012
Then he submits it to the athletic commission.
BilboMcFonzie - February 8, 2012
This should be a great stand up war
jack knight starman - February 8, 2012 via mobile
best photo
hopefully they’ll make cerrone/edwards the main event instead of this, now that it’s no longer the grudge match it once was.
woooburn - February 8, 2012
Silva altered his urine sample, but only because he’d taken a diuretic to make weight, definitely not a PED or anything like that. Hope Pokrajac sparks him.
sheikybaby - February 8, 2012
Or he could have been stacking it with other like masking agents in order to flush trace remnants of PED’s out of his system. Who knows.
castleeb - February 8, 2012
Awesome fight
This is gonna be a war.
Charles Awad - February 8, 2012
WAR SILVA!!!!
benten20 - February 8, 2012
Man.. I like Igor too
I’m sorry for him
chillnnsht - February 8, 2012
in all seriousness i really dont see how Igor can win this fight
benten20 - February 8, 2012
Sneaky trip to horizontal dragon punch.
menckenstein - February 8, 2012
Horizontal DRAGON PUNCH!
Elitex10x - February 8, 2012
Realy?
Iv’e got Silva winning myself, but Igor hits hard and Thiagos chin is only average. So it is possible.
TheCode - February 8, 2012
only average?
only machida’s ever knocked him out and noone else in the ufc has even rocked him that i can remember
milk72 - February 8, 2012
Antonio Mendes rocked him
But Silva I think made Mendes tap to strikes.
SSreporters - February 8, 2012
sure did
Earl Montclair - February 8, 2012
Sick Match Up
but thiago will kill him
Elitex10x - February 8, 2012
Agreed
And Silva arguably got a draw out of the Rashad fight just based on the 3rd round being so lopsided.
Silva has sick power, and is far more well-rounded than Pokrajac.
SSreporters - February 8, 2012
I feel bad for anyone who has to fight Thiago.
Zachary Kater - February 8, 2012
This will be a very very short stand-up battle
Thiago by whatever he wants. Probably takedown into ground-and-pound hospitalization.
SSreporters - February 8, 2012
I thought that Krystoff just said he was retiring while still all woozy from the KO and the retracted it later. I’m pretty sure he’s still signed with the UFC.
mburtoni - February 8, 2012 via mobile
I feel like if that ref wasn’t there, none of Thiago’s opponents would be among the living.
castleeb - February 8, 2012
If Stefan Bonnar out struck Igor....
It’s supposed to be like a tune up fight for Silva anyway
Impressive if Igor wins though.
Elitex10x - February 8, 2012
RIP Igor Pokrajac
We hardly knew ye
Our Bovine Public - February 8, 2012
I fucking love that photo.
sgiblin - February 8, 2012
"How dare you challenge me!"
Elitex10x - February 8, 2012
Igor's in trouble
Magaca - February 8, 2012
Thiago is one of the most vicious fighters on the roster. He also has the p4p best mean mug in the business
jammin.. - February 8, 2012
Thiago by staredown at weigh-in.
Igor could make it closer than what it seems, though.
les rallizes denudes - February 8, 2012
is this even a real match?
Pokrajac will be brutalised horribly
Cunny - February 8, 2012
Might be out of left field,
but I think Silva/Perosh would be a more interesting fight.
sun yue - February 8, 2012
On the feet, this will be a war. Igor hits pretty damn hard, but so does Thiago Silva. However, if Silva plays it smart and takes it to the ground, I can see Silva getting dominant position and the finish.
chrisbboy82 - February 8, 2012
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