Hill, who suffered a gruesome fight-ending leg break in a December loss to Dale Hartt, was expected to be out of action for up to two years, but he surprisingly resumed training over the summer and tells MMA Weekly he expects to return early next year, possibly in January.

Cote made it to the third-round against middleweight champ Anderson Silva last October, but a torn meniscus in his right knee ended the fight prematurely. Two surgeries have postponed his return, but Cote posted on Facebook on Sunday that rehab was going “very well” and that he will return around April.

For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Corey Hill

Cote on Monday informed MMAWeekly.com that, despite his best efforts, his “MCL is busted.” He will remain out of commission until next year.

“My ACL is good, but my MCL is busted,” he stated. “So I have to go under surgery again.”

Cote said that he will go in for surgery on Wednesday, and that a likely return to the Octagon is a long ways off.

“Not before February or March, for sure.”

Cote signed a new four-fight contract with the UFC this summer. He recently went in to the doctor to have his knee checked, anticipating an approval to return to training for a hopeful return this fall. Instead, he received a metaphorical kick in the head instead of being able to start actually delivering them again for real.

“It’s like the bad luck is still against me, but what can I do?” he told MMAWeekly, still in good spirits. “I’ll be back. I’m going to heal very, very well and after that my knee will be 100-percent. It sucks, but hey.”

If the surgery goes well and his rehab schedule stays on track, Cote will be able to start a conditioning program within a couple of weeks, and then return to fight training sometime around October.

“I can’t wait to be back,” he said, the yearning evident in his voice.

Cote (13-5) suffered a technical-knockout loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva last October in his most-recent bout, as he was unable to continue fighting after injuring his knee early in the third-round of the contest. “The Predator” had previously won five-straight fights over Scott Smith, Jason Day, Kendall Grove, Drew McFedries, and Ricardo Almeida.

Before his latest setback, Cote had been expected to return to action this fall, possibly as early as September.

Patrick Cote

Middleweight Patrick Cote, who suffered a fight-ending knee injury in his October bout against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, has announced that he’ll return to action in September.

Cote made the announcement on Facebook several days ago and reiterated the September date in an appearance on Inside MMA.

Prior to his loss to Silva, Cote (13-5) had won five-straight bouts, defeating Ricardo Almeida, Drew McFedries, Kendall Grove, Jason Day, and Scott Smith.

No event or opponent has yet been confirmed for his return to the octagon, he’s likely to fight at UFC 103 in the UK.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC news.

Patrick Cote

French Canadian fighter Patrick Cote, who last fought Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title, is recovering well from a knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He reportedly came into the Silva fight with some damage to his knee, which eventually betrayed him during the bout, giving Cote a TKO loss and prompting the surgery that has kept Cote out of action since October.

Cote recently spoke to The Fight Network telling them that he is already doing preliminary conditioning and training, and that he expects to be training at full speed in around three weeks. In talking of potential opponents for his return Cote said, “I want to fight someone in the top-five or top-10, I want Alan Belcher or the winner of Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva.” He also mentioned a desire to fight Vitor Belfort if he were to return to the UFC, however there are no rumors regarding any possibility of Belfort returning to the promotion.

The injury first occurred in the second round as Cote attempted a kick, but the 185-pound contender continued into round three. Early in the third as he advanced toward Silva the knee gave way and Cote fell to the mat in pain in the opening minute and the fight was immediately waived off by referee Herb Dean, awarding Silva the TKO victory.

According to the report Cote originally suffered the injury more than a year ago then re-aggravated it four weeks ago. The injury was serious enough that he considered pulling out of the fight, but instead treated it with a cortisone shot in hopes that it would not be a factor in the contest.

The surgery puts any hopes of an immediate rematch on ice, though fans have decidedly mixed feelings on whether one should take place at all. Many (myself included) applauded Cote’s ability to make it to third round with Silva, while others have criticized Silva as being disinterested in the fight and not fully engaging Cote during the two-plus rounds.

The matchup headlined UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” at the sold-out Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois just outside of Chicago.

After a close first round that saw Silva do the most damage with a kick to the head in the final minute, the fight went to the ground in the second. Though Silva again did more damage Cote challenged Silva and went toe-to-toe with him on the feet.

But in the third round, Cote, who became the first fighter to make it past two rounds with Silva in the UFC, suffered a fight ending knee injury just 39-seconds into the frame and the bout was immediately halted, awarding the TKO victory to Silva.

Despite a close start to the fight, the crowd was displeased with both main event fighters and the anti-climactic finish. Silva showboated throughout the matchup, bowing to Cote at the end of the first round, offering to help him up off the ground, and playing games throughout, while Cote was booed for being unable to continue, despite doing his best to keep fighting.

After the fight, Silva apologized to the crowd for his performance and asked the fans not to boo, while Cote revealed that he likely tore his meniscus, re-aggravating a prior injury.

The disappointing main event finish dampened an otherwise solid night of fights that saw Thiago Alves top Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision, effectively assuring him of a welterweight title shot in his next bout, Gray Maynard wrestle his way to a unanimous decision victory over Rich Clementi, Junior Dos Santos upset heavyweight contender with a highlight reel uppercut knockout, and Sean Sherk and Tyson Griffin go toe-to-toe in an exciting bout to kick off the UFC 90 broadcast.

In preliminary action middleweight contender Thales Leites submitted Drew McFedries early in the opening round, Spencer Fisher earned “Submission of the Night” honors for his third-round triangle choke submission of Shannon Gugerty, Dan Miller bested Matt Horwich via unanimous decision, Hermes Franca topped Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision, and Pete Sell took out Josh Burkman via unanimous decision.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20
• Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18
• Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56
• Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC 90 is headlined by a middleweight title clash as 185-pound king Anderson Silva battles challenger Patrick Cote. Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves and Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos are also slated for the PPV main card.

QUICK RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20
• Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18
• Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56
• Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

NEWS AND NOTES

• After their entrances Hermes Franca shoved Marcus Aurelio as he was circling the cage but the altercation was quickly broken up. The blood blood was very evident at the end of the matchup as Franca went to shake hands with Aurelio, but was rebuked and retaliated by flipping Aurelio off.
• There’s a minor lineup change as Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk kicks off the UFC 90 PPV broadcast in place of Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi, which will presumably be the second televised bout.
• Though many predicted a boring decision for Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin it was quite the opposite, as the lightweight wrestling specialists engaged in an exciting standup war to kick off the UFC 90 main card.
• Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos has also been pushed ahead of Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi and is up next. The relatively-unknown Dos Santos is definitely capable of an upset in this matchup, training alongside Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira among others. Wedum, though, is considerably larger than we’ve seen him in the past and has a distinct advantage if the fight goes to the ground.
• As predicted Junior Dos Santos earns a stunning upset, knocking out heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum just over a minute into their matchup. As expected, Dos Santos avoided going to the ground with Werdum and it paid off as he connected with a highlight reel uppercut knockout that bloodied his opponent and forced the referee to step in and halt the contest.
• As the pace picked up late in the third round between Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck and both fighters traded punches both Alves and the referee failed to hear the final bell and Alves got a late takedown as Koscheck eased up but Alves continued to fight.
• After his bout against Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves was overheard saying that he likely suffered a broken thumb in the bout. With the win Alves has now won seven-straight bouts, including recent wins over fellow-contenders Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck, and is likely next in line for a welterweight title shot.

ROUND-BY-ROUND COVERAGE

ANDERSON SILVA VS. PATRICK COTE
UFC Middleweight Championship

ROUND 1 — Little action in the first as both fighters look for opening. Silva throws several big low kicks early. Closing in on the final minute of the opening round both fighters open up and Silva connects first with a kick to the chin  but Cote weathers and fires back with a solid combination of his own. Another nice leg kick by Silva as Cote remain active. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Silva.

ROUND 2 — Anderson Silva claims the second round with better striking, but Cote is holding his own against the champion. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Silva.

ROUND 3 — Cote makes UFC history by making it to the third round with Silva. Silva misses with a jab and Cote moves forward but falls to the canvas in pain. Cote’s blown out his knee and the fight is immediately waved off.

Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39

JOSH KOSCHECK VS. THIAGO ALVES

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and both fighters open with punches. Alves stuns Koscheck with a punch and he continues to pour it on with strikes, but Koscheck quickly recovers. Head kick by Alves. Right by Koscheck. Low kick and punch combo by Alves. Koscheck counters with another combo led by a big right. Another leg kick by Alves. Yet another right by Koscheck. Alves throws a kick to the body but Koscheck catches it and pushes Alves against the fence but he escapes and they separate. More leg kicks by Alves to close out the first. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 2 — Koscheck misses an early uppercut but he continues to push forward and lands an overhand right and leg kick. Alves counters with more leg kicks. Head kick by Koscheck followed by a pair of knees. They clinch against the cage but Alves backs out. More kicks for Alves but Koscheck returns a kick to the body. Uppercut by Alves followed by an inside leg kick. They exchange strikes then Koscheck shoots in for a takedown but Alves defends well, remaining on his feet and clinching against the fence. They tussle for position against the cage to round out the second. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 3 — Alves staggers Koscheck early with an extended series of strikes, including a big knee, but he again recovers and clinches with Alves. Alves accidentally pokes Koscheck in the eye as they separate from the clinch, but they quickly resume. Alves continues to connect with kicks. Koscheck accidentally pokes Alves in the eye and the fight is again halted, but quickly restarts. Leg kick after leg kick connects for Alves. Huge leg kick nearly knocks Koscheck to the canvas. Another big kick for Alves. Both fighters trade punch combos in the waning seconds and the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

GRAY MAYNARD VS. RICH CLEMENTI

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and it’s a tenuous start as both fighters get a feel for one another. Both start to open up a minute in with Maynard connecting first. Clementi comes back with kicks to the body. Good right by Maynard connects. Takedown attempt is stuffed by Clementi. Maynard throwing big punches but little connects. Clementi keeps the pressure on and looks for an opening but Maynard secures a takedown and works from Clementi’s half guard. Punches and elbows from the top by Maynard as Clementi looks for submissions and escapes. They exchange on the ground to close out the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard.

ROUND 2 — Maynard opens up with punches. Low kick by Clementi. Maynard presses Clementi to the cage but they separate. They trade punches. Maynard shoots and secures another takedown. Maynard gets a guillotine and Clementi gets back to his feet but the submission is still in place. Clementi escapes but Maynard puts him back on the ground and avoids a triangle attempt. Clementi continues to work for a submission but Maynard escapes. Maynard attempts ground and pound from half guard but Clementi does a good job neutralizing him. Body shots from Maynard. Clementi does his best to escape but Maynard maintains control on the ground for the remainder of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard.

ROUND 3 — Another quick takedown for Maynard to open the final round as he slams Clementi to the canvas. Clementi attempts to escape but Maynard is too strong and skilled and keeps him on the bottom. Maynard passes to side control then Clementi escapes back to his feet underneath, but Maynard qickly puts him back on the ground. Clementi transitions to the top and nearly takes Maynard’s back, but Maynard shrugs him off and puts Clementi on his back again before the bout comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard and the bout 30-27 Maynard.

Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

JUNIOR DOS SANTOS VS. FABRICIO WERDUM

ROUND 1 — Tentative strikes from both fighters to open the bout. Werdum throws kicks to the body early and Dos Santos fires back a low kick of his own. Wedum closes and tries to clinch, but Dos Santos backs away, preferring to strike. It’s a highlight reel knockout as Dos Santos floors Werdum with a huge uppercut and finishes him off with punches on the ground to force the referee to intervene.

Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20

SEAN SHERK VS. TYSON GRIFFIN

ROUND 1 –Sherk and Griffin touch gloves and both fighters trade punches. Sherk immediately shoots for a takedown and presses Griffin against the fence. Sherk quickly takes his back and gets both hooks in but Griffin shakes him off. Hard low kick by Griffin. Sherk counters with a right and uppercut then shoots and secures another takedown. Griffin gets back to his feet and works knees to the body of Sherk from the clinch. They separate and Griffin lands a right. Sherk with an uppercut, then they trade kicks. Crisp and accurate striking from both fighters. Griffin misses with a head kick. Griffin shoots for a takedown and Sherk stuffs it. Griffin appears tired and Sherk again takes his back but gives it up and returns to striking. Big left by Griffin is countered by a combo from Sherk as the exciting first round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk.

ROUND 2 — They pick up where they left off and trade punches then Sherk gets another quick takedown but Griffin works back to his feet but gets punished by Sherk. Combo by Sherk has Griffin backpeddling. Both fighters working solid combinations with Sherk seemingly getting the better of the exchanges. Body shots by Griffin followed by a pair of leg kicks. Griffin fades as the round wears on and Sherk senses it and goes for a takedown but backs away and fires punches. Griffin counters, missing another head kick. Griffin drops his hands and Sherk connects with single punches late. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk.

ROUND 3 — Griffin swings for the fences early and surprises Sherk, but he recovers and counters with a hard combo of his own. They settle in and trade more wild punches. Combination after combination for Sherk connect and Griffin offers little in return. Griffin with a kick and body shot. Sherk misses with a knee. More combinations for Sherk as the bout enters the final minute. Griffin lands another leg kick but Sherk has him backpeddling with a last-second combo. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk and the bout 30-27 Sherk, though the fight is much closer than the score indicates and is a definite "Fight of the Night" candidate.

Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

THALES LEITES VS. DREW MCFEDRIES

ROUND 1 — Leites quickly gets McFedries to the ground, takes his back, and locks in a rear naked choke that forces McFedries to tap early in the opening round.

Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18

SPENCER FISHER VS. SHANNON GUGERTY

ROUND 1 — Low kicks from Gugerty to open the fight. They clinch and Gugerty secures an early takedown. Fisher works back to his feet and connects with an elbow in the clinch. Another hard elbow by Fisher. Fisher takes control and works strikes, while Gugerty looks for another takedown. Fisher drops Gugerty with a right late and Gugerty unsuccessfully works for another takedown. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

A large cut over Gugerty’s left eye is checked between rounds, but he’s cleared to continue.

ROUND 2 — More kicks from Gugerty to start the second, but he slips to the canvas then gets back to his feet and clinches with Fisher. They separate and Fishers gets a takedown and works a guillotine, but Gugerty escapes. Back on their feet, Gugerty throws high kicks, but Fisher gets another takedown and ends the round on top in Gugerty’s guard. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

ROUND 3 — Fisher and Gugerty clinch early, then separate. More kicks from Gugerty, who eventually gets Fisher back to the canvas. Fisher locks on a triangle choke from the bottom and Gugerty initially survives, but Fisher repositions and Gugerty is forced to tap late in the third.

Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56

DAN MILLER VS. MATT HORWICH

ROUND 1 –Miller gets an early takedown and tees off with rights on the ground. Up kick by Horwich connects, then Miller escapes an omoplata attempt. Horwich works back to his feet and lands knees in the clinch, but Miller gets him back to the canvas. Miller works short punchs from the top while Horwich looks for submissions. They again return to their feet and clinch. Miller connects with a combo then gets another takedown. Horwich again secures an omoplata, but Miller escapes before the first round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Miller.

ROUND 2 — Miller is stunned by an early left, but recovers and secures another takedown. They quickly return to their feet and Horwich attempts an armbar but Miller escapes into Horwich’s guard. Horwich transitions to the top then takes Miller’s back and attempts a rear naked choke, but Miller defends. Horwich claims full mount and Miller is again forced to give up his back. The round comes to a close as Horwich is working for another rear naked choke. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Horwich.

ROUND 3 — A takedown by Miller opens up the third. Another attempted omoplata by Horwich is escaped by Miller. From Horwich’s rubber guard Miller presses Horwich against the fence, but he initially shows little offense. Upon the crowd’s urging Miller picks up the pace and works sone ground and pound opening a cut up under Horwich’s eye before the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Miller and the bout 29-28 Miller.

Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

HERMES FRANCA VS. MARCUS AURELIO

ROUND 1 — Franca connects early with kicks, while Aurelio counters with jabs. Franca continues with kicks and wild punches. Aurelio continues with jabs. Straight right, low kick combo by Franca connects. Franca is more effective and aggressive as the slow opening round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca.

ROUND 2 — More kicks from Franca to start the second, who changes things up with a mixture of high and low kicks. Aurelio attempts a takedown, but Franca defends and counters. Aurelio returns to the jab, but Franca continues to cause damage to Aurelio’s legs with kicks. Right by Aurelio connects, but Franca counters with yet another kick. The crowd gets restless as the ground fighters continue to stand and exchange. The fighters trade late, but little lands until Franca scores another low kick just before the bell. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca.

ROUND 3 — Franca is aggressive early with more kicks, but Aurelio gets a takedown into half guard and works ground and pound from the top. Franca tries to return to his feet but Aurelio connects with an accidental-but-illegal knee while he’s on his way up and the bout’s temporarily halted to allow Franca time to recover. Aurelio has a takedown stuffed once the action resumes and the fighters separate. Franca attempts a late combo but misses and the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca and the bout 30-27 Franca.

Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

PETE SELL VS. JOSH BURKMAN

ROUND 1 — Burkman and Sell circle early and get a feeling for the fight. They trade kicks then clinch against the fence. They quickly separate and Burkman connects with a big right then secures a takedown. Burkman throws elbows from half guard then allows Sell to return to his feet. Another takedown by Burkman, but Sell has full guard and Burkman again allows him back up. Foot stomps from Burkman as the fighters clinch again. The fighters exchange briefly before the close of the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Burkman.

ROUND 2 — The fighters trade punches with Burkman getting the better of the exchange. Sell looks for a takedown but Burkman fends it off. Burkman counters Sell with a left and connects, but Sell quickly recovers. Sell fires back and Burkman trips backwards, then they clinch. Sell starts to connect with more frequency as Burkman begins to gas. More offense from Sell late, but Burkman closes out the round with a late takedown. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sell.

ROUND 3 — Burkman lands an early knee then Sell looks for a takedown but Sell stuffs it again. After a brief exchange Sell again tries for a takedown but it unsuccessful. Neither fighter is able to connect but Sell is agressive. Another knee from Burkman following an unsuccessful takedown attempt. Sell connecting with the jab. Burkman is gassed and backs away from Sell, who finally secures a takedown late in the fight and works a neck crank as the fight concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sell and the bout 29-28 Sell.

Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

All other fighters, including headliners Anderson Silva (184) and Patrick Cote (183), successfully made weight.

• 185: Anderson Silva (184) vs. Patrick Cote (183)
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• 170: Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Thiago Alves (171)
• HWT: Junior dos Santos (234) vs. Fabricio Werdum (256)
• 155: Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Sean Sherk (156)
• 155: Gray Maynard (155) vs. Rich Clementi (156)
• 185: Drew McFedries (186) vs. Thales Leites (186)
• 155: Shannon Gugerty (156) vs. Spencer Fisher (155)
• 185: Matt Horwich (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
• 155: Marcus Aurelio (156) vs. Hermes Franca (156)
• 170: Pete Sell (170) vs. Josh Burkman (171)*

* Burkman initially weighed in at 173 pounds, two pounds over the 171 pound welterweight limit, but successfully weighed in at 171 pounds on his second attempt and will not be subject to any penalties.

From Sherdog:

“I do this sport to be No. 1, so I can’t ask for more. To fight the best guy pound-for-pound in the world and to have a chance to get a title shot – it’s perfect,” said Cote. “I’m not scared of anybody – I said yes to fight Tito Ortiz on four days notice when I was in a different weight division, so to fight Anderson Silva is the ultimate goal for me. I want to be champion of my weight class.”

Cote continued:

“I think I have the best style to fight this guy. I have a good chin, I’ll go forward, and I think every time he fights his opponent has already lost because he’s scared of him,” said Cote, who has never been knocked out in training. “I know that this guy is very, very good, but we have a good game plan for the fight, and I’m 100% confident that I will win.”

I’ve always said that confidence is one of the most valuable commodities for a fighter, but does anyone, and I mean anyone, actually believe that Cote has a fraction of a chance at defeating Anderson Silva? I understand this fight is pretty much filler for Silva’s bout with Yushin Okami, which unfortunately had to be scrapped due to injury, but the more I read about how Patrick Cote thinks he has the right game plan to take Silva out, the more I can’t help but recall James Irvin’s oozing confidence leading into his bout with “The Spyder”, and we all know how that turned out.

Should we expect the same fate for Cote? Perhaps not in 61 seconds, but in the first round? Yea, that sounds about right.

“Anderson Silva once again showed why he’s the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world when he moved up to light heavyweight and destroyed James “The Sandman” Irvin,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Now he drops back down to middleweight to defend his world title against Patrick Cote, a fighter on a four-fight win streak with a style that guarantees an incredible fight, wherever it goes. There is no better way to introduce Chicago to the UFC than with the championship fight Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote.”

Tickets for UFC 90: SILVA vs. COTE will go on sale Monday, August 18 at 10am CT starting at $50. Tickets will be available at Allstate Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, Charge-By-Phone at (312) 559-1212 or online at ticketmaster.com.

UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Friday, August 15 at 10am CT via the website www.ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Sunday, August 17 starting at 10am CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

UFC 90: SILVA vs. COTE is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

It took Silva (22-4) just 61 seconds to defeat his last opponent, James “The Sandman” Irvin at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas July 19, but that is par for the course for “The Spider”, who burst on to the UFC scene two years ago. His list of victims started with a devastating knockout of Chris Leben in June 2006. He followed that up with two TKOs over Rich Franklin, a submission win over Travis Lutter, a TKO over Nate Marquardt and a second round submission over PRIDE 183-pound champion Dan Henderson. Silva, considered by most to be the most dominant force the UFC middleweight division has ever seen, now faces number one middleweight contender Patrick “The Predator” Cote.

“It’s an honor to be fighting Patrick Cote in the first UFC event ever in Chicago,” said Silva. “I’m excited to take on Cote, but I am taking him very seriously; he is a dangerous striker and he likes to stand and trade with his opponents. That’s the kind of fight fans like to see, and that’s definitely the fight we’re going to give them Oct. 25.”

Cote, (14-4) fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is on a four fight win streak in the Octagonâ„¢, beginning his string of excellence back in February of 2007 with a decision win over Scott Smith at UFC 67. Six months later, he TKO’d Kendall Grove in the first round at UFC 74, and followed that up with a first round TKO over and Drew McFedries at UFC Fight Night in January 2008. But it was his most recent victory, a pivotal win over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86 on July 5th that propelled him to number one contender status. Now Cote has the opportunity to join countryman Georges St-Pierre as the UFC’s second Canadian titleholder by taking out reigning champion Silva at UFC 90.

“Everybody that fought Anderson Silva was scared of him; I’m not scared of him one bit,” said Cote. “It’s gonna take him 10 straight punches to take me down – I only need one punch to take him down. I’m Patrick Cote, I win against grapplers and I knock strikers out. I can’t wait to go to Chicago and take the belt home to Montreal.”

The remaining bouts for UFC 90 will be announced in the near future.