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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk has been out of action since his May loss to Frankie Edgar, but he's looking set to return in the new year in Las Vegas.
In an interview with Wisconsin Combat Sports, Sherk revealed that he's set to face off against Rafaello Oliveira on the UFC 108 card on January 2nd.
He had been set to return against Gleison Tibau at UFC 104 before an injury sidelined him, and now he'll face a fighter in Oliveira that has already competed against a member of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. Oliveira's last bout was a loss at the hands of the debuting Nik Lentz, an up and coming prospect and training partner of Sherk's.
Sherk is 1-2 in his last three fights against Edgar, Tyson Griffin and B.J. Penn, and wants to get himself back up the ladder in the division. He also has a goal for the tail end of his career, as he told the interviewer, "My game plan is to fight until I'm 40 years old. That would give me a 15 year career, which is very long as a professional athete. I would like to hit the 50-fight mark. I still feel like I have a lot to prove and I still feel I can prove it."
UFC 108 will be headlined by a heavyweight bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez on January 2nd in Las Vegas, NV.
Penick's Analysis: This is a fight that Sherk absolutely should not lose. His younger, less experienced training partner was able to pull of a very solid victory against Oliveira, but he should come into this one on a completely different level. If he ever wants to fight against the Diego Sanchez's, B.J. Penn's and Kenny Florian's of the division again, he needs to make this one a statement bout that he's still challenger. I would fully expect him to do just that in January, but we'll have to wait to see just what he's ready, willing and able to pull off in Vegas.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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