Patrick Cote will get a shot at Anderson Silva later this year, so sayeth the Dana:

“He’s getting a title shot,” UFC president Dana White said.

Cote is expected to meet Anderson Silva for the title but there are some hoops for the champion — considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts — to jump through first. Silva is taking on James (The Sandman) Irvin on July 19 in Las Vegas in a light-heavyweight bout. Then he is slated to defend his middleweight title, probably against Japan’s Yushin Okami, at UFC 88 in Atlanta on Sept. 6.

The Cote fight is expected some two months after that.

The Cote/Almeida fight at UFC 86 was a snooze-fest, but hard to blame the usually entertaining Cote for treading lightly against a third degree BJJ blackbelt. Kudos to the UFC brass for understanding that fact:

Cote had the last laugh on the grappler this time, albeit in a fight that was hardly the stuff of legend. But White acknowledged the style matchup made for a cautious fight with Almeida, another Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, looking to avoid Cote’s heavy hands and Cote trying not to get snared by Almeida’s submissions skills.

“I knew if I made a mistake in this fight, I will lose the fight for sure … If you go on the ground with this guy, you’re dead,” said Cote. “He’s one of the best guys in the world at jiu-jitsu.”

And while there were some boos from the crowd, the fighters paid a price for the bout. Both of Cote’s eyes were slightly blackened and Almeida’s head was lumpy and swollen as they face the media after the fight.

Cote, who also heard his name chanted by the crowd, was riding high.

“It’s a big win for me,” said Cote, who served five years in the Canadian military including time in Bosnia. “This win will change my life.”

Cote served in the Royal 22nd Regiment known as the Van Doos.

There was some drama outside the cage after the fight. Manager Stephane Patry said a UFC official — not White — had berated his fighter for the lacklustre bout. Patry said he promptly complained to UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, who assured him Cote would be treated right.

“Obviously it wasn’t the most exciting fight but Lorenzo’s a good guy, he understands,” Patry said.

UFC confirms title shot for Canadian Cote @ Sportsnet.ca