• UFC 170

Evans-Cormier to headline UFC 170

Rashad Evans was defeated by Jon Jones in April © Getty Images

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A light heavyweight bout between former champion Rashad Evans and divisional newcomer Daniel Cormier has been scheduled to headline UFC 170 on February 22.

Evans (19-3-1) made the announcement on Friday. The pay-per-view event will take place at The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

A two-fight win streak has elevated Evans, 34, back into title contention. After suffering back-to-back losses in 2012, including a lopsided decision to Jon Jones in an April title bid, Evans has rebounded with wins against Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen.

Cormier (13-0) will make his much-anticipated move to the 205-pound division. A close friendship with current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has prompted him to drop divisions.

A member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, Cormier has recorded decision wins against Frank Mir and Roy Nelson since joining the UFC early this year. The 34-year-old recently signed a new deal with the fight promotion.

Rory MacDonald will also face Demian Maia at the event. MacDonald (15-2) is less than one month removed from a split-decision loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 167. The loss was MacDonald's first since a last-second TKO loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 115 in June 2010.

The 24-year-old Canadian holds notable Octagon wins over Nate Diaz, B.J. Penn and Jake Ellenberger.

Maia (18-5), who dropped to the welterweight division last year, saw a three-fight win streak snapped in October. The Brazilian suffered a split-decision loss to Jake Shields at UFC Fight Night 29 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com
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