One of the best secret in mixed martial arts, middleweight Lucio Linhares has been dreaming of getting his opportunity to show his talents to the world on a major show in he United States.

In June, he thought that dream was realized when both he and Mikhail Zayats were added to the undercard for Affliction’s “Trilogy” card on Aug. 1. However, that dream was ripped away from him when Affliction elected to cancel the event in the wake of Josh Barnett’s failure to get a license to fight Fedor Emelianenko.

But Trilogy’s loss is a gain for “M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough“, as Linhares and Zayats have been added to the live HDNet fight card for Aug. 28 in Kansas City at the historic Memorial Hall.

Linhares and Zayats combined to put on one of the most memorable fights in M-1 history during a 2008 M-1 Challenge event. It was a fight many felt Linhares had won, yet Zayats walked away victorious in a decision handed to him in his home country of Russia.

But at “Breakthrough,” Linhares can kill two birds with one stone: avenge his controversial loss to Zayats while letting the world know he can compete for any promotion on the planet.

Those who question the black belt’s striking ability and point to his two past losses to UFC veterans Tomasz Drwal and Thales Leites, are in for a rude awakening. as Linhares’ progression in recent years has been remarkable.

For those unfamiliar with Linhares — a Brazilian who now calls Finland his home — just watch the below video to familiarize yourself with him: