Champ Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson possible for UFC 149 in Calgary
With UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo likely off the card and headed to UFC 147 in Brazil, July's UFC 149 event in Calgary may still get a title fight.
At a press conference today in Rio de Janeiro, UFC president Dana White mentioned the possibility of light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and Dan Henderson (29-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) headlining UFC 149.
However, White said it'll depend on Jones' recovery following this past weekend's win over Rashad Evans.
"If we could make that fight happen (at UFC 149), that'd be great," White said.
UFC 149 takes place July 21 at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view.
Jones, who would have exactly three months between fights if he takes the UFC 149 slot, earned a unanimous-decision victory over Evans this past weekend at Atlanta's Phillips Arena. It marked his seventh straight win, his fourth consecutive victory over a former UFC champ, and his third consecutive title defense. It also cemented his status as one of the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters.
Henderson, meanwhile, is on a 7-1 run that includes fights at middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. The heavyweight win came over Fedor Emelianenko under the Strikeforce banner. Henderson scored a knockout win against the Russian then signed with the UFC and topped light heavyweight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in a "Fight of the Year" performance at UFC 139. Since then, he's waited on the sidelines for his promised title shot.
Henderson said winning a UFC title is the one career milestone that's eluded him in an illustrious career.
