It looks like the UFC bantamweight title will be on the line in addition to a former champion making his return when the Octagon rolls through Montreal for UFC 186.
While there has yet to be an official announcement on either bout, UFC Tonight's Ariel Helwani reported on Wednesday the event will be headlined with the long-awaited rematch between champion T.J. Dillashaw and former titleholder Renan Barao.
The Team Alpha Male staple upset the Brazilian striker when they initially squared off at UFC 173 back in May, and the Nova Uniao representative was given an immediate rematch that would take place at UFC 177 four months later in Sacramento, California.
Yet "The Baron" would be pulled from the card for medical reasons, and his chance to reclaim the 135-pound title would get thrown on the scrap pile. The newly minted champion would go on to defeat promotional newcomer Joe Soto in the main event, and the former pound-for-pound ranked Brazilian would derail surging prospect Mitch Gagnon in his next outing at Fight Night 58 back in December.
While the next title opportunity was set to go to former champion Dominick Cruz, "The Dominator" suffered another knee injury and was once again pushed to the sidelines, where he's been for the better part of the past three years. Cruz's injury opened the door for Barao to get a chance for redemption, and it appears he will get precisely that at UFC 186 in Montreal.
In addition to the main event title tilt, Helwani also broke another rumored bout for the UFC's return to Quebec with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson versus Fabio Maldonado.
T.J. Dillashaw-Renan Barao 2 & Quinton "Rampage" Jackson-Fabio Maldonado are being discussed for UFC 186, per @ArielHelwani on UFC Tonight.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) January 15, 2015
It was recently announced the former light heavyweight champion had officially re-signed with the UFC, and if Helwani's report comes to fruition, the bout with the scrappy Brazilian will be his first under the organization's banner since he was defeated by Glover Teixeira at UFC on Fox 6 in January 2013. Jackson would go on to sign with Bellator, where the former Pride fighter found victory in all three of his showings for the Los Angeles-based organization.
The 36-year-old knockout artist made headlines around the sport by returning to the UFC, but his existing contract issues with Bellator could very well create some obstacles on his way to the Octagon. According to Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting, Bellator CEO Scott Coker has publicly stated that Jackson is still under contract with the promotion and they have no plans of letting him out of that agreement to compete in the UFC.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
