Griffin-Silva likely for UFC 101

A light heavyweight bout for UFC 101 in Philadelphia is nearing completion, as former 205-pound champion, Forrest Griffin, will look to get back in action

A light heavyweight bout for UFC 101 in Philadelphia is nearing completion, as former 205-pound champion, Forrest Griffin, will look to get back in action against American Top Team fighter, Thiago Silva, in a bout slated for the main card of the pay-per-view.

The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Sunday.

Griffin will return to the Octagon in August after what will be an eight-month layoff following his title loss to current champion, Rashad Evans, in a bout held in December 2008.

During the fight, Griffin injured his hand, which required surgery and placement of surgical pins that would kept the Xtreme Couture fighter on the sidelines for the first half of 2009.

Now the former champion returns to face Silva, who will also take the fight coming off a loss, the first of his career to Lyoto Machida in late January.

Silva has always been seen as a dangerous competitor in the Octagon, but a few mistakes led to his knockout loss to Machida, but he will look to bounce back against the former light heavyweight champion.

The fight between Griffin and Silva will serve as a main-card fight under the main event pitting lightweight champion, B.J. Penn, defending his title against No. 1 contender Kenny Florian.

The event will also mark the UFC's first trip to Philadelphia after Pennsylvania ratified MMA in February.