UFC 174 Headliner Announced: Demetrious Johnson Puts Flyweight Belt on the Line

UFC 174 finally has a main event… Demetrious Johnson vs. Ali Bagautinov.

UFC officials on Wednesday confirmed the bout first reported by Sportsnet.ca.

UFC 174 takes place on June 14 at Rogers Arena. It marks the promotion’s first event in Vancouver since June of 2011, and also marks the first time that Johnson has headlined a UFC pay-per-view event.

Johnson (19-2-1) is the first and only UFC flyweight champion. He won the honor by defeating Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152. Johnson has defended the belt on three occasions, defeating John Dodson and John Moraga before knocking out Benavidez in a rematch.

Bagautinov (13-2) is undefeated during his UFC tenure. His route to the flyweight title shot includes victories over Marcos Vinicius, Tim Elliott, and John Lineker.

He’s part of a wave of Russian fighters that have crashed into the Octagon, quickly establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Having worked his way quickly up the ladder – his UFC debut was in September of last year – Bagautinov faces the most significant opportunity of his career, but could also present one of the biggest threats to Johnson’s title reign.

UFC 174 also features a key welterweight match-up between top contenders Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley.