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MANILA, Philippines – Jon Jones will make his much-anticipated return to the Octagon as he is set to face Daniel Cormier in a light heavyweight championship rematch at the UFC 197 pay-per-view event on April 24 (April 23 in US).
Jones and Cormier have a long history of heated rivalry, stemming from a full-fledged brawl during the UFC 178 media conference at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in August 2014.
Aside from their altercation in public, both men were recorded exchanging threats and profanities during an off-air segment following an ESPN interview.
Jones easily cruised to a unanimous decision victory against Cormier when the two squared off against each other in January 2015.
Cormier got his hands on the gold-plated strap when he submitted Anthony Johnson for the vacant title in May 2015 as Jones was stripped of the UFC light heavyweight belt and was placed on indefinite suspension due to a hit-and-run incident in April of the same year.
In September 2015, Jones was given a conditional discharge with an 18-month probation and is required to complete 72 speaking engagements without incident.
Jones (21-1) has won 12 consecutive matches inside the UFC cage and became the youngest champion in the promotion’s history by disposing Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in March 2011.
On the other hand, Cormier (17-1) successfully defended the light heavyweight strap with a split decision win over Alexander Gustafsson this past October.
UFC 197 is scheduled to take place at the 16,800-seater MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. – Rappler.com
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