Florian, Maynard Headed for Beantown Showdown

Two-time lightweight title challenger Kenny Florian will meet Gray Maynard in a featured matchup at UFC 118 on August 28 at the TD Garden in Boston, Sherdog.com has learned from multiple sources.

Florian last fought in March, when he submitted former Pride Fighting Championships lightweight titleholder Takanori Gomi with a third-round rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 21 in Charlotte, N.C. Finished only once -- by perennial pound-for-pound standout B.J. Penn -- in the last five years, the 33-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was hospitalized with a staph infection last month. A native of Westwood, Mass., Florian holds notable victories over former two-division Deep champion Dokonjonosuke Mishima, one-time Strikeforce lightweight titleholder Clay Guida, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 semi-finalist Joe Lauzon and recent Bellator Fighting Championships signee Roger Huerta.

A three-time collegiate All-American wrestler at Michigan State University, Maynard remains unbeaten through 10 professional bouts. The 30-year-old owns a unanimous decision win over current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar but has not competed since January, when he eked out a split nod against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz at UFC Fight Night 20. Anchored at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas, Maynard’s last six fights have reached the judges.