UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz fight card

The final event of what has been a terrific January for the UFC takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where Anderson Silva is set to return to the Octagon for the first time since his horrific leg break against Chris Weidman. Silva will go up against Nick Diaz in a special five-round middleweight headliner, with a supporting cast of Kelvin Gastelum/Tyron Woodley in the co-main event, Joe Lauzon battling Al Iaquinta, Tim Boetsch facing Thales Leites, and a great main card opener between Thiago Alves and Jordan Mein.

What's on the line in the main event? Well for Silva, as is his unofficial right as perhaps the greatest fighter the sport has ever seen, he will get a title shot with a win over Diaz. Who knows what's in store if Diaz wins, but if the upset happens then it's safe to say that Silva's best days are well behind him.

On the preliminary card, Miesha Tate takes on Sara McMann in a big women's 135 match-up, while John Lineker and Ian McCall compete for a possible flyweight title shot.

Here's the full bout order for next Saturday:

Main Card (PPV, 10 PM ET)

Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Tyron Woodley
Joe Lauzon vs. Al Iaquinta
Tim Boetsch vs. Thales Leites
Thiago Alves vs. Jordan Mein

Preliminary Card (FS1, 8 PM ET)

Miesha Tate vs. Sara McMann
Ian McCall vs. John Lineker
Ed Herman vs. Derek Brunson
Rafael Natal vs. Tom Watson

Preliminary Card (Fight Pass, 6:30 PM ET)

Diego Brandao vs. Jimy Hettes
Richardson Moreira vs. Ildemar Alcantara
Thiago Santos vs. Andy Enz

For more on how both Silva and Diaz are preparing for the big fight, here's the recent audio from their conference call last week: