The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced a blockbuster fight card for Memorial Day Weekend on May 23, which will feature two big title showdowns.
Jon Jones will defend his light heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson, while Chris Weidman will put his middleweight title on the line against Vitor Belfort in co-featured bouts at UFC 187 pay-per-view event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jones, who holds an impressive 21-1 record, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 last month, but his victory was tainted with controversy.
Following his win against Cormier, it was revealed that he tested positive for traces of cocaine during a pre-fight drug test before UFC 182, but dodged suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission since cocaine is not listed as banned substance outside of competition.
The reigning UFC pound-for-pound king underwent treatment and is now ready to successfully defend his title for the ninth consecutive time, but it will not be easy as Johnson has been on a roll as of late.
Johnson, who holds a 19-4 record, earned a shot against Jones after scoring a scintillating first-round knockout victory against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on Fox on Jan. 24, which was also the 30-year-old's ninth straight victory. Johnson also proved that he can carry his punching power to a higher weight class.
"What he's doing with his power is crazy," White said of Johnson. "He moved up two divisions and is knocking out legit 205-pounders. This isn't like boxing, where if you move up two divisions you're going up six or eight pounds. He's fighting way bigger guys than he used to and his power is incredible."
Meanwhile, in the co-featured bout, Belfort will get another chance to steal the middleweight title from Weidman after their previous scheduled showdowns were cancelled.
Belfort was supposed to face Weidman for his title in May last year, but the fight was called off after the challenger withdrew following the NSAC's decision to ban testosterone replacement therapy. The fight was set again in December and in February, but did not push through again after Weidman sustained injuries.
Weidman, who took the title from Anderson Silva via a knockout win at UFC 162 in July 2013, has not fought since winning against Lyoto Machida at UFC 175 in July last year. Belfort, on the other hand, won against Dan Henderson in a non-title match at UFC Fight Night 32 in November last year.
