By Michael Owens
The UFC has announced a pair of fights to headline its second and third shows of 2014.
First up, two top ten middleweights will look to get back on the winning track as Costa Philippou takes on Rockhold.
Philippou was riding high on a five-fight win streak earlier this year but was brought back down to earth by Francis Carmont at UFC 165 in May.
Rockhold came into the UFC as Strikeforce middleweight champion and on the crest of his own nine-fight winning run.
However, his ride to the title was memorably derailed by Vitor Belfort’s spinning kick in Brazil in May.
The fight is set to take place at UFC Fight Night 35 on January 15.
The second big announcement was for a fight at lightweight with serious title implications at UFC on Fox 10.
Title challenger Josh Thomson was left without an opponent when Anthony Pettis re-injured his knee and he will not sit on the sidelines and wait for him to recover.
Instead, he will face former champion Benson Henderson in what promises to be a high-octane five round fight.
Another win for Thomson will surely solidify his position as the number one contender in the lightweight division, while Henderson will book a place right back into the title discussion with a win to rebound from his deflating loss to Pettis.
UFC on Fox is scheduled to take place on January 25.
