NEW YORK – Jon Jones' next title defense likely will come in early September.
Earlier this week, UFC president Dana White said the UFC's light-heavyweight champion is expected to meet No. 1 contender Dan Henderson on Labor Day weekend.
Although no event has been announced, that'd mean a possible Sept. 1 date, likely as UFC 151.
Labor Day is Sept. 3. If UFC 151 takes place Sept. 1, it'll come three weeks after UFC 150 in Denver and three weeks prior to UFC 152 in Toronto.
At a press conference this past month, White said Jones (16-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) vs. Henderson (29-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was a possibility for UFC 149, which takes place July 21 at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome. However, during a meeting with reporters earlier this week, White said the title fight now is expected at the later date, likely to give Jones some rest and recovery after a busy 2011 and early-2012 campaign.
Jones, who would have had just three months between fights if he took the UFC 149 slot, earned a unanimous-decision victory over Rashad Evans at UFC 145. 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. After re-signing with the UFC, Henderson then 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.
