Making a quick return to the cage after his shocking seven-second loss at UFC 140, Canadian featherweight Mark “The Machine” Hominick competes in his home country once again when he faces “The Filipino Phenom” Eddie Yagin at UFC 145 on March 24th in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Also announced for the card today was a lightweight bout pitting grappling ace Mark Bocek against long-time UFC veteran “Handsome” Matt Wiman. Both fighters are coming off of Unanimous Decision victories in competitive matchups late last year and look to move a step closer to title contention.

Hominick (20-10-0) made his first appearance in the Octagon since the tragic loss of his mentor and trainer Shawn Tompkins at UFC 140 this past month, but a costly tactical error early in his bout with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung left Hominick briefly unconscious from a barrage of punches just seven seconds into the fight. Hominick admitted that he had gotten careless and left himself open, and he has now dropped back-to-back fights after putting together a five-fight winning streak. The talented striker will have a chance to redeem himself in March when he competes in front of the Montréal fans.

Yagin (15-5-1) sat on the sidelines for 18 months following a December 2009 loss to UFC veteran Diego Saraiva, but earned a shot in the UFC with two first-round stoppage victories last year. His Octagon debut did not go as planned, however, as Yagin dropped a Unanimous Decision to Junior Assuncao at UFC 135 in September. Yagin has finished ten of his opponents to date and he would take a big step up the featherweight ranks if he is able to upset Hominick in March, but a second consecutive loss could potentially spell the end of Yagin’s UFC career.

Bocek (10-4-0) has also become a mainstay of UFC events in Canada and he most recently edged out Nik “The Carny” Lentz in a three-round grappling battle at UFC 140. The win got Ontario’s Bocek back on track after a setback against upcoming lightweight title challenger Ben “Smooth” Henderson in April. Seven of Bocek’s victories have come by submission and he is widely regarded as one of the top grapplers in Canada. Though title contendership has thus far eluded him, a win over Wiman would be one of Bocek’s biggest to date.

Wiman (14-6-0) has been part of the UFC roster for over five and a half years. He sports an 8-4 record inside the Octagon, with two defeats coming in razor-thin decisions against strikers Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout and Dennis Siver. Wiman had looked to be on the road to a long-awaited shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship prior to the defeat to Siver, but he bounced back with a win over rival Mac Danzig in the pair’s October rematch. Wiman has only been finished once in his career and he has never been submitted; a fact that could prove crucial when he battles Bocek.

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

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)