UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The card for UFC 108 was plagued with numerous injuries, with multiple potential fights being called off as a result.

A proposed main event featured UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva facing off against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort. However, it was announced by Silva's manager, Ed Soares, that the fight would not happen at UFC 108 because Silva would not be fully healed from elbow surgery.

A bout between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin for the UFC Heavyweight Championship was rescheduled from UFC 106 to UFC 108, but this fight did not take place due to a continuing medical condition suffered by Lesnar.

The winner of a bout between Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez was to be guaranteed a title shot for the UFC Heavyweight Championship against the eventual winner of the Lesnar vs. Carwin bout. The planned bout was later scrapped when Nogueira was forced to pull out of the fight due to a severe case of staph infection. A possible Velasquez vs. Carwin match for an interim belt had been ruled out as a new main event due to Carwin undergoing knee surgery, although there were talks of the fight possibly happening at a later date. The Nogueira/Velasquez bout was scheduled for February 21, 2010 at UFC 110, though it was not for the interim belt.

Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to then undefeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. As of November 2011, Evans is currently ranked as the #3 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports.

Wrestling out of Niagra Wheatfield High School, Evans twice made it to the state finals tournament of New York by winning his weight class for his county, in which he received All-State honors both times. In 1997 he placed 4th in the state at 145 pounds. In 1998 he placed 4th in the state at 171 pounds. In 1999 he entered the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships for the 165 pound weight class in which he finished in 4th place. Competing once again at this tournament in 2000, he was the champion of the 165 pound weight class.

Gilbert Ramon Yvel (born June 30, 1976) is a Dutch light heavyweight mixed martial artist associated with the Vos Gym training camp in the Netherlands. He has competed in the Pride Fighting Championships, Affliction Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship promotions. He holds notable wins over Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (2x), Gary Goodridge, Pedro Rizzo, Cheick Kongo, Valentijn Overeem(2x), Kiyoshi Tamura, and Semmy Schilt but is perhaps better known for his three blatant disqualifications in mixed martial arts competition.

Gilbert Yvel was one of the first Dutch fighters who successfully applied the Muay Thai striking style to mixed martial arts. Unlike many other Dutch MMA fighters, Yvel started out doing MMA from the onset, without transitioning from kickboxing or another striking art. Gilbert possesses an arsenal of strikes and kicks as befitting his Muay Thai training and is famous for his signature "flying knee" strike. In addition to his striking base, Yvel also holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt under John Lewis. His grappling style is mainly defensive and he is often praised for his toughness and ability to do damage from the guard.

Dana White (born July 28, 1969) is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.

Born in Manchester, Connecticut on July 28, 1969, White grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ware, Massachusetts and Levant, Maine. White is a passionate Boston Red Sox fan. During his youth, he bounced back and forth between Boston and Maine. He attended the University of Massachusetts Boston but did not finish; however, while there he did launch a boxing program for inner-city youth.

White has a background as an aerobics instructor. In 1992, White established Dana White Enterprises in Las Vegas. He conducted aerobics classes at three gyms in the Las Vegas area and began managing MMA fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

While working as a manager, White learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC, was looking for a buyer for the UFC. White contacted childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta, an executive at Station Casinos, and a former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Within a month, Lorenzo and his older brother Frank bought the UFC, with White installed as its president. White currently owns about 9% of Zuffa, LLC, the entity the Fertitta brothers created to own and manage the UFC.

Junior dos Santos Almeida (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒũnjoʁ dus ˈsɐ̃tus]), also known as Junior Cigano ("Gipsy"; born September 12, 1984), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is ranked as the number one heavyweight fighter in the world by numerous media outlets.

Dos Santos started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Yuri Carlton for fitness reasons. After some time he was invited to join an MMA practice, where he met his boxing coach Luiz Carlos Dórea, and after roughly a year he made his debut fight.

Dos Santos became professional in 2006 at the age of 21. He fought in small promotions in Brazil, such as Demo Fight, Extreme Fighting Championship, Minotauro Fights and Mo Team League. He won 6 out of his first 7 bouts, suffering his only loss to Joaquim Ferreira, a fighter he'd previously beaten.

Dos Santos debuted for the UFC on October 25, 2008 at UFC 90. Considered a major underdog, dos Santos knocked out top contender Fabricio Werdum at a minute and twenty-one seconds of the first round with a strong uppercut, earning himself a "Knockout of the Night" award.