Heavyweights headline UFC 70

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Heavyweights headline UFC 70

Filipovic battles Gonzaga; Couture fight could be next

UFC 69 at Toyota Center

Mixed martial arts coverage After a nearly five-year absence, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the United Kingdom tonight with UFC 70 in Manchester, England.

The UFC's fourth major fight card of the year features one of the promotion's newest stars in a bout with heavyweight-title implications. Mirko Filipovic, who was lured away from Pride Fighting Championships, faces Gabriel Gonzaga in the main event at M.E.N. Arena.

Filipovic walked through his last UFC opponent, taking apart the previously unbeaten Eddie Sanchez with a first-round technical knockout at UFC 67 in February. Gonzaga (7-1) represents tougher opposition, but he's still a prohibitive underdog against Filipovic (22-4-2), who has won five straight.

If Filipovic runs that streak to six tonight, he will be fighting for the UFC heavyweight title later this year.

"Talking about my fight with (champion) Randy Couture is a jinx for me," said Filipovic, 32, who spends his time out of the fight game serving in the Croatian Parliament.

"I don't like to talk about it. I have an opponent in front of me to fight on Saturday night, and, right now, I am concentrating on Gabriel Gonzaga. Anything before that is a jinx."

Maybe so. But that hasn't stopped the UFC from salivating about a Filipovic-Couture matchup.

It would be the biggest heavyweight title fight in the UFC in years and has the makings of a pay-per-view blockbuster that UFC president Dana White believes could rival the success of the UFC 66 showdown last year between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

Former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski continues his comeback on the UFC 70 undercard, taking on Fabricio Werdum. A victory for Arlovski would set him up for another title shot late this year.

Native son Michael Bisping also is on the card. The rising light heavyweight, from Liverpool, won the third season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show and has yet to lose in 13 pro fights. He faces Elvis Sinosic.

The main card will air tape-delayed at 8 p.m., on Spike TV.