Jon Jones will be fighting at UFC 239 in July, UFC president Dana White confirmed, but it won't be against Stipe Miocic. Rather, Jones will be defending his light heavyweight belt against Thiago Santos.
The 205-pound bout will headline UFC 239, which will take place at T-Mobile Arena on July 6 in Las Vegas. According to ESPN sources, the bout agreements have not been signed, but all parties have verbally agreed to the fight.
News of Jones fighting Santos in July comes just hours after the light heavyweight champion
teased a potential super fight with former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. That was a long shot though; instead, Jones will face Santos, who will be fighting for the third time in just seven months.
Thiago Santos (21-6) is a former middleweight who made his light heavyweight debut in September 2018. He is riding a three-fight win streak in the division, defeating Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa, and Jan Blachowicz.
Jon Jones (24-1) is coming off an impressive title defense against challenger Anthony Smith at UFC 235. The fight went all five rounds, but Jones was in control the entire time and the fight was never really in question. The judges scored the fight 48-44 in favor of Jones, who was also docked two points for an illegal knee.
Does the Jones-Santos headliner for UFC 239 excite you?