UFC Returning To Minneapolis In October For UFC On FX 5; Local Talent Marcus LeVesseur Added

On Oct. 5, 2012, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to the Target Center in Minneapolis for UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot, the second event the promotion has ever held in the state. The main event will see heavyweights Travis Browne and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva throw down, with the former looking to work his way into title contention and the latter eager to show that his place in the UFC isn't a fluke.

As has been the case with other UFC on FX events, the fight card will feature some solid talent, but it won't be the caliber of card you'd expect from a pay-per-view or a UFC on Fox show. Still, Browne is one of the sport's rising stars, with two very solid finishes and a dominant decision in his last three fights. On the other end of the spectrum, Silva just launched Cain Velasquez to a title shot by being an extra-large punching bag back at UFC 146.

Other big names on the main card include John Dodson and Matt Mitrione. There's a local connection on the night's preliminary card, which will likely be featured on Fuel TV. According to the Star Tribune, Marcus LeVesseur, who attended Augsburg College in downtown Minneapolis, is set to take on Carlo Prater in a lightweight matchup. Both fighters are coming off of losses in their last fights, with LeVesseur falling to The Ultimate Fighter alum Cody McKenzie via guillotine choke, and Prater losing a clear decision to TJ Grant.

Prater has faced tougher competition than LeVesseur in his MMA career, but he's also been steamrolled by that competition in recent fights. LeVesseur will primarily look to use his wrestling, but as Prater boasts 15 wins by submission, that could be a risky strategy. Still, it's probably LeVesseur's best chance to pick up a win.

Below, we've got the full card as it stands now, though not everything is official and there's going to be plenty more fights coming up:

Main Card

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva
John Dodson vs. Jussier da Silva
Matt Mitrione vs. Rob Broughton
Justin Edwards vs. Josh Neer

Preliminary Card

Louis Gaudinot vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Carlo Prater vs. Marcus LeVesseur