Anderson Silva to Face Daniel Cormier in Non-Title Bout at UFC 200

Two days notice is no problem for Anderson Silva.

The former middleweight champion will step in and face Daniel Cormier in a featured bout at UFC 200. The bout will be contested at 205 pounds and will be three rounds. Cormier’s light heavyweight title will not be on the line. UFC President Dana White confirmed the fight on Thursday evening.

Cormier vs Silva!!! #UFC200 pic.twitter.com/c2QYsgEb68

— Dana White (@danawhite) July 8, 2016

Cormier was originally supposed to headline UFC 200 in a light heavyweight title rematch against Jon Jones, but that matchup was scrapped when Jones was notified of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test.

Silva was supposed to face Uriah Hall at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil, on May 14, but emergency gall bladder surgery forced him to withdraw from that bout. “The Spider” last competed at UFC Fight Night in London on Feb. 27, when he lost a unanimous decision to current 185-pound champ Michael Bisping.

Interestingly enough, Silva’s last victory came at UFC 153 in October 2012, when he faced Stephan Bonnar on short notice to save a card that had been ravaged by injuries.

Cormier, meanwhile, captured the 205-pound belt vacated by Jones with a victory over Annthony Johnson at UFC 187. He defended the strap with a split verdict over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 this past October.

There was also some shuffling atop the UFC 200 card. While Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt was initially announced as the new main event for Saturday's bill, White revealed on Thursday that the bantamweight title tilt between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes will now serve as the headliner.