UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will try to make history at UFC on FOX 24 on April 15 in Kansas City. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will join him on the fight card, trying to remain in the middleweight title hunt.
Johnson and Souza’s next bouts were announced during the UFC 209 Prelims telecast on FS1 on Saturday night.
Johnson (25-2-1) will attempt to make the tenth defense of his flyweight title. If he is successful, he will tie Anderson Silva‘s record for most successful UFC title defenses. He will face Wilson Reis at UFC on FOX 24, entering the fight coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Tim Elliott in December.
Reis (22-6) has won five of his last six bouts, including his three most recent fights.
Souza (24-4) has been angling for a middleweight title fight, but with champion Michael Bisping next facing Georges St-Pierre, it could be a while before he could get a shot. He will instead fight Robert Whittaker in Kansas City.
Souza has won 10 of his last 11 bouts. His only blemish during that run is a controversial split-decision loss to current top contender Yoel Romero. Having won his last two bouts, Souza will try to continue notching victories, while he awaits a shot at the belt.
Whittaker (17-4) has also been red hot, winning his six most recent fights. His streak of success includes all five of his fights since moving from welterweight up to middleweight. Whittaker counts the likes of Derek Brunson, Rafael Natal, and Uriah Hall as part of that resume.
If he scores a win over Jacare, it will establish him as one of the top contenders in the division.
UFC on FOX 24 also includes the previously announced strawweight showdown between two of the division’s top contenders in Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson.
