UFC is planning some fireworks for its annual Memorial Day weekend event.
Dana White's company announced its headliners for UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas, confirming that there will be a pair of titles on the line:
#UFC187 Memorial Day Weekend in Vegas @Jonnybones vs @Anthony_Rumble! #BOOM! pic.twitter.com/pQhIV2H83g
— UFC (@ufc) February 19, 2015
Also adding @ChrisWeidman vs @vitorbelfort to #UFC187! pic.twitter.com/MJLlivSFgb
— UFC (@ufc) February 19, 2015
Jon Jones, ranked by UFC.com as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business, has won 12 fights and eight title defenses in a row. He'll face 30-year-old Anthony Johnson, who hasn't lost since 2012 and most recently stopped Alexander Gustafsson with a first-round TKO in January.
In the co-main event, middleweight champion Chris Weidman will look to stay undefeated against veteran Vitor Belfort. Weidman, who famously defeated Anderson Silva twice (one via a gruesome leg injury), took down Lyoto Machida in July, while Belfort has reeled off three straight wins since a loss to Jones in September 2012.
Two titles and four of the most talented fighters in the business will have little trouble creating a massive draw, but the rest of the card isn't too shabby. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Donald Cerrone will square off in a potential lightweight title eliminator, and there'll be a couple of other intriguing fights:
Fans asked for it! @TeamKhabib vs @CowboyCerrone at #UFC187 | May 23rd at @MGMGrand! This card is STACKED! pic.twitter.com/R9IF7hIlKy
— UFC (@ufc) February 19, 2015
Oh.. we have more... #UFC187: @travisbrowneMMA vs @AndreiArlovski pic.twitter.com/NcRmSVczw1
— UFC (@ufc) February 19, 2015
aaaannnnddddddd @JoeJitsu vs @chicanojohn added to #UFC187 #OMGThisCardIsAmazing pic.twitter.com/LyEiG12QtP
— UFC (@ufc) February 19, 2015
Fox Sports' Megan Olivi summed up the excitement for the event:
OKAY IT'S OFFICIAL I AM SO EXCITED FOR @UFC 187
— Megan Olivi (@MeganOlivi) February 19, 2015
UFC has been painted in a negative light in recent months with failed drug tests overshadowing some of the year's biggest fights. But this event should help the company recover in a major way.
Anticipation for the stacked card should only continue to grow in the coming months.
