UFC Rio: Ben Rothwell's Return and Rumored Opponent

According to a report on MMA Mania, Ben Rothwell will be returning to action this August at UFC: Rio.  He is rumored to have two possible opponents as well, Brendan Schaub and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

If Rothwell fights at UFC: Rio, it would be his first fight in over a year.  Rothwell will look to build on his last fight that saw him claim a unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Yvel.

The fight was considered lackluster by many fans, and even Rothwell said he was not pleased with his performance.

In his UFC debut, Rothwell faced Cain Velaquez.  That bout saw Rothwell dominated by Velaquez, and the referee stopped the action in the second round giving Rothwell the TKO defeat.

Brendan Schaub is 8-1 with only one fight going the distance.  He is currently on a four-fight win streak in the UFC, after being knocked out by Roy Nelson in the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale.  That loss resulted in Nelson winning the season and Schaub finishing as the runner up.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria has not fought since suffering a first-round knockout at the hands of Cain Velasquez in February 2010.  The reason for the long layoff is a string of surgeries.

First, was a knee surgery to reconstruct his ACL, followed by two hip surgeries. Nogueria has said that he hopes to begin training again in May and be ready to fight when UFC: Rio arrives in August.  If he does fight on the card, it will be his first fight in his career in his homeland.