Neil Davidson - Canadian Denis Kang will take on English middleweight Michael Bisping at UFC 105 in Manchester, England, on Nov. 14, the UFC confirmed Tuesday.
The mixed martial arts card also features a welterweight bout between England's Dan (The Outlaw) Hardy and South Korean Dong Hyun (Stun Gun) Kim.
The main event has yet to be announced. There had been talk of B.J. Penn defending his lightweight title against Diego Sanchez in Manchester but that fight will now take place at UFC 107 in Memphis on Dec. 12.
Bisping (17-2) is coming off a knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 in July. Kang (32-11-1) defeated France's Xavier Foupa-Pokam via decision at UFC 97 in April.
The 31-year-old Kang, who was born in St. Pierre-Miquelon but now calls Vancouver home, is a Pride veteran who is 1-1 in the UFC.
"Kang is a very good fighter and one of the best in the division," the 30-year-old Bisping said in a statement. "This is exactly the sort of fight I need to get right back up there and prove that I'm one of the top guys in the division.
"I've watched Kang's fights over the years and he is very dangerous on the ground with his submissions and is also a powerful striker on his feet. Plus, he's an explosive fighter. He can explode into a huge strike or takedown from nowhere, which makes him very unpredictable".
The Manchester fight marks a return to the MEN Arena for Bisping, a native of nearby Clitheroe who defeated Elvis Sinosic there at UFC 70 in April 2007.
Hardy (22-6, with one no contest) is 3-0 in the UFC after a decision win over Marcus (The Irish Hand Grenade) Davis in June at UFC 99. Kim is 3-0 with one no contest in the UFC, defeating Canadian T.J. Grant most recently at UFC 100.
"Kim is technically unbeaten and, while he's been under pressure in his career, has always found a way to win," the outspoken Hardy said in a statement. "I will have to break him. He can control people on the ground with his judo and can land strikes. He can boss you on the ground for 15 minutes and that will be his plan. "
"But I plan to put a beating on this guy that is so nasty and so one-sided it will be uncomfortable viewing for all the other welterweights in the UFC. I am going to beat him up for a while and then I will catch him with something that really hurts him -- then he'll go to sleep. . . . I don't want a decision, I guarantee a knockout in this one."
Notes: Welterweight Mike (Quick) Swick, forced to drop out of his UFC 103 matchup with Martin Kampmann because of a training camp injury, says he will not be out long. "I will fight as soon as I get an opportunity! ... No next opponent has been offered, but yes I would love to fight (former champion Matt) Hughes," Swick said via Twitter. "I will be ready by UFC 104 so just waiting for the UFC to call."
