The Ultimate Fighting Championship won't wait long to return to spiritual home of mixed martial arts.
Following this past August's ultra-successful UFC 134 event, the UFC will return to Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena on Jan. 14 for an event expected to serve as UFC 142.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the booking with UFC officials.
The UFC has yet to make an official announcement regarding the event, and potential fight bookings for the card have yet to be revealed
UFC president Dana White first revealed the company's plan to Brazilian outlet UOL but did not confirm the date or location. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta recently completed a trip to Brazil, where he was said to be completing the UFC's January return to the country, as well as scouting out possible future host cities in the South American nation.
On Thursday, White said Brazil will soon host the first-ever international version of "The Ultimate Fighter" and should also expect to see the promotion make frequent visits to the country.
"It's a huge market for us," White said of Brazil. "It's incredible down there. We're going to do as many as we possibly can."
The UFC is also expected to announce a new partnership with Brazilian television network Globo. Following Thursday's pre-UFC 137 press conference, White was asked about a rumored deal but declined to offer any comment.
Source: UFC 142 booked for Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena on Jan. 14