History in the Making: Silva Vs. Belfort, Penn Vs. Edgar at UFC 112

Signed, sealed, and delivered: It's official that the UFC will make history when it makes its way to Abu Dhabi for UFC 112, which is set to feature double title defenses of:

Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs. Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort and BJ "The Prodigy" Penn vs. Frankie "The Answer" Edgar.

Icons of the sport Renzo Gracie and Matt Hughes will meet in a welterweight showdown. With Hughes owning a win over Royce Gracie, one can count on the fact that Renzo is looking for revenge and to keep family prestige.

The legendary event is set to take place outside at the Outdoor Concert Arena at Ferrari World on Yas Island April 10.

Abu Dhabi has long been a supporter of mixed martial arts and has held a large interest in jiujitsu, featuring the Abu Dhabi Combat Club championships on an annual basis.

The crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has been a key influence in bringing the UFC event to Abu Dhabi. Members of the royal family have been trained in the art of jiujitsu by the legendary Gracie family, including Renzo, who will be competing on the card.

The UFC going to Abu Dhabi is historic and this is going to create worldwide exposure for the sport of mixed martial arts. Flash Entertainment recently purchased 10 percent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Managing Director of Flash Entertainment, John Lickrish, said, “UFC 112 is going to be incredible. Flash and the UFC have been working very hard to bring this event to fruition, and we’re delighted to now announce what will truly be a great night of sport in Abu Dhabi."

In an interview with UFC.com, UFC boss Dana White said, “This is one of the biggest and most significant nights in the history of the UFC. UFC 112 is our first ever outdoor event and it is taking place in the hometown of our brand new partners, Flash Entertainment. We are very happy we could deliver what fans around the world will recognise as a stacked card featuring the sport’s biggest stars.”

The MMA community will see the world's pound for pound best as Anderson Silva returns to the 185-lb. division that he has cleaned out to the point that Belfort may well be "The Spider"'s last bout in the middleweight division.

The Spider has been nothing less than spectacular since entering the Octagon and now faces one of the most dangerous strikers in the game, former UFC champion Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort.

Belfort was born to fight, as he stormed into the MMA world with a stunning knockout of future hall of famer Wanderlei Silva. Belfort went on to capture UFC gold by defeating current hall of famer Randy Couture.

Belfort's credentials have never been questioned as much as his mental focus. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu, and his furious striking combos have provided us with highlight reel images for years to come. Belfort holds TK(O) victories over Matt Lindland and most recently former middleweight champion Rich "Ace" Franklin in his return to the UFC.

Featured in the second portion of title defenses is "The Prodigy" vs. "The Answer" as the 155-lb. champion BJ Penn makes another title defense against No. 1 contender Frankie Edgar.

Penn has been unstoppable since committing to the UFC's lightweight division, reeling off victories against Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk (former champion), Kenny Florian, and most recently a dominating performance over Diego Sanchez.

The Prodigy is a future hall of famer, as he has held titles in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions during his tenure with the UFC. The Prodigy is arguably the sport's best jiujitsu practitioner. He was the first non-Brazilian to win a gold medal in the black belt division of the Mundial World Championships held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Penn's only negative has become a positive, as he has turned to legendary strength and conditioning coach Marv Marinovich. With Penn featuring world-class jiujitsu, one-strike knockout power, and elite conditioning, the Hilo, Hawaii champion seems nearly unstoppable.

Frankie Edgar hopes to be the answer to Penn's dominance. "The Answer" holds multiple fight of the night honors, most recently earning the honor at the Ultimate Fighter Finale, where he defeated Matt Veach via submission.

Edgar's list of wins includes notable fighters such as Sean Sherk, Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin, and Hermes Franca. Edgar will be looking to use his wrestling pedigree as a four-time Division I National Qualifier at Clarion University and freestyle All-American, with his ever improving boxing and quick footwork, in hopes that he can be The Answer to The Prodigy's lightweight dominance.