Anderson Silva-Nick Diaz fight set for Jan. 31 in Las Vegas

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ Anderson Silva will return to action against Nick Diaz as part of the organization’s Super Bowl weekend card Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.

UFC president Dana White appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday afternoon to announce the bout.

Silva, 39, lost his belt to Chris Weidman in July 2013, then suffered a gruesome leg injury in the rematch in December. Silva broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg as he attempted to kick Weidman in the second round. The fight was immediately stopped, and Weidman won by technical knockout.

Before the losses to Weidman, Silva had won a UFC-record 16 straight fights and held the mark with 10 consecutive title defenses. He held the belt for almost seven years.

Diaz, 30, announced his retirement after back-to-back losses to Carlos Condit and Georges St. Pierre. He lost an interim title bout to Condit in February 2012, then served a suspension for a positive marijuana test.

Diaz returned to fight St. Pierre for the welterweight title in March 2013. The former Strikeforce champion said he no longer would fight, but signed a new deal with the UFC this month.

The fight will be contested at middleweight. No venue has been announced.