Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva targeted for UFC's December return to Australia

A heavyweight matchup between Mark Hunt (9-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Antonio Silva (18-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is expected to headline the UFC’s December return to Australia.

Brazilian outlet Combate first reported the news, and MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed that verbal agreements are in place for the contest, and contracts are expected to be finalized shortly.

Further, while there have been conflicting reports as to the date and location of the event, MMAjunkie.com has learned it will take place Dec. 7 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Queensland, Australia.

Due to the time change, the event will air on the U.S. on Friday night, Dec. 7. Broadcast plans for the event have yet to be announced.

“Bigfoot” Silva returns to the action for the first time since a failed beat for the UFC’s heavyweight title. The UFC 160 bout saw Silva suffer a first-round TKO loss to champ Cain Velasquez. Still, the 33-year-old Brazilian sits at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings.

He now meets No. 9 Hunt, a 39-year-old New Zealander with devastating power. A longtime kickboxer, Hunt’s MMA record hovered around .500 when he joined the UFC, but he’s rattled off wins over Stefan Struve, Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell and Chris Tuchscherer. The four-fight winning streak came to an end at the hands of Junior dos Santos, who scored a third-round knockout over Hunt in UFC 160's “Fight of the Night.”

For the latest on UFC in Australia, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Antonio Silva)