Heavyweights Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub and “Big” Ben Rothwell have verbally agreed to square off at UFC 145 on March 24, 2012 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. UFC officials announced the planned matchup on the promotion’s website today. Both fighters look to rebound from losses.

Schaub looked to be well on his way to a title shot after four straight wins inside the Octagon, but he was brutally knocked out by veteran Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira at UFC 134 in August. Rothwell has fought sparingly in recent years and has won just one of his three UFC bouts.

Schaub (8-2-0) earned first-round knockout wins in each of his first four fights after making the move from football to mixed martial arts. He advanced to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 10 before falling to former IFL champ Roy “Big Country” Nelson. Schaub bounced back from the loss with four victories, including a vicious knockout of former PRIDE star Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović, but his path to a title shot was derailed by Nogueira. Schaub now looks to get back on track after the knockout loss and faces a hard-hitting veteran in March.

Rothwell (31-8-0) competed on the regional scene for over five years before receiving an opportunity with the International Fight League in 2006. He went on to post a perfect 9-0 record in the promotion, but departed amidst a contract dispute and has struggled since. Rothwell received his long-awaited shot in the UFC against future champion Cain Velasquez in 2009, but was stopped early in the second round by the powerhouse wrestler and has fought just twice since then. The veteran has finished 28 of his career opponents, but needs a big win in order to stay competitive in the heavyweight division.

UFC 145 takes place on March 24, 2012 at the Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)