Event name: UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida Date: May 23, 2009 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena Broadcast: Pay-Per-View (10pm ET)

UFC 98 Lyoto Machida (14-0) vs. Rashad Evans (18-0-1), Rampage Jackson Injured: UFC 98 is scheduled to take place on Saturday May 23rd live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC 98 will take place Memorial Day Weekend and the long awaited grudge match between former UFC welterweight champions Matt Serra and Matt Hughes will finally face off in the Octagon again.

Hughes vs. Serra will be on the main event card. When the two coached against each other on the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, their fight was considered main-event quality, but by the time they finally get into the Octagon together in May, it will have been more than two years since either one of them won a fight.

This highly anticipated matchup was originally slated for UFC 79 back in December of 2007 but Serra, who was the welterweight champion at the time, injured his back and he was forced to withdraw from the bout.

They were supposed to fight at UFC 79, however Serra injured himself while training for the fight and was forced to withdraw. Instead, Georges St. Pierre took his place and easily dispatched of Hughes, for a second time by the current UFC welterweight champion.

The grudge match was further delayed after Hughes suffered a knee injury during a loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 85 in June of last year. Hughes was able to heal his injury but the bout was delayed yet again this time due to the birth of Serra’s first child this past February. With both fighters healthy and committed fight fans will finally get to see the two rivals go at it on May 23 in Las Vegas.

The encounter will be more for pride than anything else, as Hughes is on the downside of a Hall of Fame career while Serra is looking to prove he was more than a one hit wonder after knocking out St. Pierre at UFC 69 in April of 2007.

A win by either man will not move them any closer to a title shot. Hughes twice lost handily to St. Pierre and Serra was dominated in their highly anticipated rematch last April at UFC 83 in Montreal. St. Pierre controlled the entire fight and wound up winning via TKO late in the second round.

Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk

Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk (33-3) will attempt to get one step closer to reclaiming his 155-pound title when he collides with top division contender Frank Edgar (9-1).

Sherk failed to reclaim his title against BJ Penn at UFC 84: “Ill Will” back in May 2008. It was his first fight since being stripped of the title and suspended for six months because of a positive test for steroids that he refuted vigorously.

At the ripe old age of 35, the “Muscle Shark” rebounded with unanimous decision win links Tyson Griffin at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote,” demonstrating much improved striking skills. Primarily known for his linkswhelming wrestling attack, Sherk’s most recent multidimensional approach earned him and Griffin the “Fight of the Night.”

Edgar recently earned a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu while training at Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu in Hamilton, N.J., under Ricardo Almeida — the star pupil of Renzo Gracie. He is a decorated high school (Toms River High School East) and collegiate (Clarion University) wrestler out of Toms River, N.J., who also moonlights as an assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers University.

Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek and Spencer Fisher are just a few of the notable opponents who Edgar has handled, which has helped him rise to the top of the very crowded UFC 155-pound division in short order.

If he can add Sherk to that hit list it would be that much more impressive.

The UFC also announced that middleweight title contender Yushin Okami will fight Dan Miller. Okami, the last man to get a win links Anderson Silva (it came via disqualification), is 7-1 in the UFC. Miller is 3-0 in the Octagon and most recently scored an impressive submission of Jake Rosholt in February.

UFC 98, beginning with the 10 p.m. ET pay-per-view (PPV) telecast. In addition, up-to-the-minute quick results of the under card action will begin to flow earlier around 8 p.m. ET on fight night.

MAIN CARD (televised)

* Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida
* Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
* Dan Miller vs. Yushin Okami
* Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk
* Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Wilson

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-televised)

* James Irvin vs. Drew McFedries
* Kyle Bradley vs. Phillipe Nlinks
* Pat Barry vs. Tim Hague
* Houston Alexander vs. Andre Gusmao
* Brandon Wolff vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
* David Kaplan vs. George Roop

• ResultS: Lyoto Machida defeats Rashad Evans via TKO (Strikes) Round 2
• Matt Hughes defeats Matt Serra via Unanimous Decision

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