Anthony Johnson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira slated for UFC on FOX 12
Fresh off a victorious return to the UFC and an upset of Phil Davis, Anthony Johnson (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) will meet fellow light heavyweight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC on FOX 12.
UFC officials today announced the bout, which is the first for the card, following an initial report from FOXSports.com.
UFC on FOX 12 takes place July 26 at SAP Center in San Jose. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Although it won’t be the main event, Johnson vs. Nogueira is slated for the main card.
Johnson is ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings. Nogueira is ranked No. 12.
Johnson recently picked up his seventh straight win after re-signing with the UFC and posting a shutout unanimous-decision win over top contender Davis. Johnson, who went 7-4 in his first UFC stint but consistently struggled to make the 171-pound welterweight limit, has found a new life in heavier weight classes. He especially excelled with WSOF, where he defeated Mike Kyle, Andrei Arlovski and D.J. Linderman to set up his recent UFC return.
He now meets the oft-injured Nogueira, who’s won two straight, though his decision win over Rashad Evans came in February 2013 and his TKO of Tito Ortiz came all the way back in December 2011. The 37-year-old PRIDE vet, who suffered back-to-back decision losses to Ryan Bader and Davis before the victories, has dealt with back and other ailments during the recent gaps in competition.
