The preliminary card for UFC 112 is set to be boosted by a hugely intriguing light-heavyweight encounter as wrestling powerhouse Phil Davis prepares to take on big-punching Alexander Gustafsson.

The bout is yet to be confirmed by the UFC but it is believed Davis has received positive MRI results following his recent fight at UFC 109, when he pounded his way to a very impressive unanimous decision win over Brian Stann.

Gustafsson's most recent fight came in England when he knocked out Jared Hamman in just 41 seconds. The 23-year-old has explosive hands, and he poses a stylistic challenge to Davis, whose striking game clearly had some rough edges in the win over Stann.

Both men would enter the bout undefeated, and it would certainly generate plenty of interest in the UFC 112 undercard, particularly after Davis drew comparisons to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre with his aggressive wrestling technique at UFC 109. The NCAA Division 1 national wrestling champion was particularly sharp at changing levels to set up the takedown, something that could upset Gustafsson.

UFC 112 promises to be one of the biggest events of the MMA calendar with the middleweight title clash between Anderson Silva and Demian Maia headlining the card, in addition to a co-main event that sees BJ Penn put his lightweight strap on the line against Frankie Edgar.