The undercard for UFC “Silva vs. Irvin” is coming together and features a strong IFL flavor in the mix. Reese Andy, Rory Markham and Brad Blackburn, all former prominent IFL fighters will now be competing in the UFC. With the recent cancellation of their last event it is looking quite grim for the IFL, a promotion that was seen as fresh breath of air by some MMA fans and pundits. It now appears that organization that has gone through major re-organization is in dire straits. Could this be a sign that the end is near?

The hastily put together UFC card that will slide in between UFC 86 and UFC 87, will be one of only a handful of UFC events without a number attached to it. It will feature some top names in the sport such as Anderson Silva, and Brandon Vera, mixed in with some relative unknowns such as Dale Hartt and Shannon Gugerty. While names like Markham and Andy are not household names, they are solid additions to their respective divisions. It remains to be seen how the others will fare in their UFC bouts. The event will take place on July 19, the same day as Affliction “Banned.”
The tentative card is as follows

Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
Frankie Edgar vs. Hermes Franca
Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber
Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo
Dale Hartt vs. Shannon Gugerty