The Ultimate Fighting Championship is expected to head west before the holidays.

The MMA Corner has learned from sources close to the UFC that the promotion is looking at San Jose, Calif., as a possible destination for an event Dec. 8.

No official announcement has been made from the UFC regarding the event; however, it is expected to be UFC on Fox 5.

In addition, the promotion is also expected to hold an event on Saturday, Dec. 15, likely to serve as UFC on FX 6.

Also, according to sources close to The MMA Corner, a rumored heavyweight bout between Brendan Schaub and Lavar Johnson will take place on the Dec. 8 card, but no written agreement is in place at this time and the bout could take place on either card.

San Jose has long been known as a frequent landing spot for Strikeforce, while this will be the third appearance for the UFC in the West Coast city. The first event, UFC 139, featured Dan Henderson taking on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a five-round battle. The promotion made a second appearance in July for UFC on Fuel 4.

Schaub holds a UFC record of 4-3, with his last two fights being knockout losses to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ben Rothwell. The Ultimate Fighter season 10 competitor will look to avoid making his record .500, and seeks to get back in the mix in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

The 35-year-old Johnson is in need of a win as well. Since moving over from Strikeforce to the UFC, the heavyweight picked up back-to-back wins, but in his last appearance, Johnson took a fight on short notice at UFC 146 where he was submitted by Stefan Struve in the opening round. A winner of two UFC “Knockout of the Night” honors, “Big” will hope to add another bonus to his resume against Schaub.

Stay tuned on The MMA Corner for more information regarding this event, along with other mixed martial arts news.

Photo: Brendan Schaub (Sherdog)