The UFC announced on Thursday that #4 ranked middleweight contender Chris Weidman and #5 ranked Gegard Mousasi will meet inside the octagon at UFC 210 this Spring. The event will take place April 8 inside the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.

Chris Weidman last fought at UFC 205 against Yoel Romero, losing a three round contest in devastation fashion as ‘The Soldier of God’ caught the former UFC Middleweight Champion with a vicious flying knee. Weidman will now look to rebound from his first two career losses, and work his way back towards the middleweight strap.

Gegard Mousasi is riding a four-fight win streak, and has stopped his last 3 opponents inside the first two rounds (Uriah Hall, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Santos).

“They are working on Chris Weidman. He said he is on holiday. He says he is waiting for his stitches to come out. He said a lot. I am looking forward to that fight,” Mousasi told FloCombat.

“Two years ago I didn’t believe in myself. I didn’t believe that I could win a title. Since USADA has come into the sport I have had seven dominant performances. I have a whole history of success behind me. I have belts from all different organizations. It’s not like I don’t deserve it. I am ready.” - Gegard Mousasi

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Full Statement:

Middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi has been calling for a fight with former 185-pound champion Chris Weidman, and on Apr. 8, he will be granted his wish. The only catch is that he’ll have to go to Weidman’s home state of New York to get the fight, as the two meet in a UFC 210 bout at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

UFC 210 will air live on Pay-Per-View. Stay tuned to UFC.com for more fight card announcements . To pre-register for tickets, click here.

The fighting pride of Baldwin, Weidman held the UFC middleweight crown for over two years after beating Brazilian icon Anderson Silva for the title, and while the No. 4-ranked contender already holds wins over the likes of Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida and Demian Maia, he wants to add Mousasi’s name to that list while making his case for a shot at regaining his title in 2017.

The Netherlands’ Mousasi has been at the top of the sport in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions for years, but after putting together a stellar four-fight winning streak that includes finishes of Belfort, Thiago Santos and Uriah Hall, the only thing on the No. 5-ranked contender’s mind is getting a title shot, and with a win over Weidman in April, he will move a step closer to that goal.