Jon Jones promised he would keep active this year, and so far it seems he’s keen to keep to his word.
The UFC light heavyweight champion will return to the Octagon at International Fight Week’s UFC 239 on July 6 to fight for the third time in seven months. He’ll do so against 205-pound contender, the hard hitting Thiago Santos. Supporting that contest will be Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm, seeing Nunes — who also holds the featherweight belt — making a return to 135-pounds. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto first reported the news.
While the two title fights offer fans plenty of intrigue, it does the simultaneous job of silencing reports of a Jones vs. Stipe Miocic contest, after both men had apparently shown an interest online. Should Jones win, he’ll have already defeated three legitimate, lineal contenders in Gustafsson, Anthony Smith and Santos during a time where plenty of fighters are criticised for seeking big time ‘money fights’.
Should Nunes defeat Holm, it would essentially mean she’s defeated every other champion she’s been able to fight, cementing her legacy as the finest female fighter in mixed martial arts history.
