Machida-Rua rematch set for May 1

The rematch between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight belt is set.

“Lyoto Machida will fight May 1 in Montreal against ‘Shogun’,” Dana White told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday.

White had promised a rematch as soon as possible after the unbeaten Machida defeated Rua in a unanimous but highly debated decision on Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. White was one of many onlookers who believed Rua had won the fight.

All three judges disagreed, allowing Machida to retain his championship, giving Machida scores of 48-47 across the baord.

A rematch was tentatively scheduled for Jan 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, but was postponed while Machida recovered from surgery to repair a broken hand.

The fight will headline the UFC’s third-annual spring event in Montreal, where it twice staged sold-out shows at the city’s 21,000-seat Bell Centre. Hometown hero Georges St. Pierre reclaimed his welterweight championship against Matt Serra at UFC 83 in April 2008. Middleweight champion Anderson Silva defended his belt against Thales Leites at UFC 97 in April 2009.