MMAConvert.com

Two fairly big UFC match-ups have been revealed in the past 24 hours.

At UFC 108, the first man and the last man to beat Mirko Cro Cop inside the Octagon will face off in a solid heavyweight bout.

A tantalizing heavyweight matchup between Brazilians Junior Dos Santos (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is in the works for UFC 108 in January.

Fighters.com first reported the bout was a possibility for either UFC 107 or UFC 108, but MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned the bout is targeted for the Jan. 2 event in Las Vegas.

Sources close to the event have indicated that verbal agreements are in place, though bout agreements have yet to be signed.

Gonzaga was previously rumored to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in December. The change in plans seems to lend credence to the notion that the UFC is saving Nogueira for the Lesnar/Carwin winner.

A middleweight bout between Wanderlei Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama was also rumored for UFC 108, but it appears that fight will take place at on a later card. Akiyama announced at a press conference in Japan that he’ll take on Wand at either UFC 110 in Vegas or UFC 111 in Sydney, Australia in late February. Akiyama is hoping for UFC 110 in Vegas, however MDS points out that Wand-Akiyama would make more sense for the Australian card due to their popularity in Japan and the mere one-hour time difference between Sydney and Tokyo. The UFC has been having trouble breaking into Japan to stage an event, so having the card in Australia is the closest they can get to delivering a live show at a decent hour on Japanese television. I can’t think of a better match-up the UFC can book to attract the Japanese audience.