Daniel Cormier will defend the UFC light heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson on Saturday, April 8 at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York. Cormier announced the news on “UFC Tonight” on Wednesday.
Cormier was originally scheduled to fight Johnson at UFC 206 on Dec. 10 in Toronto, but the former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler had to withdraw due to a right groin tear.
The title bout is a rematch of UFC 187’s main event in May 2015. Cormier submitted Johnson in the third round to capture the title left vacant by Jon Jones, who was stripped of the belt following his arrest on hit-and-run charges in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Cormier (18-1) has fought just twice since his first bout against Johnson. He defended the title against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 via split decision and won by unanimous decision in a non-title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 200. Silva replaced Jones on less than a weeks notice after Jones was pulled from the card due to a potential USADA violation.
Since the loss to Cormier, Johnson (22-5) has won all three of his fights by knockout. He’s 12-1 in the light heavyweight division, with his lone blemish to Cormier.
The event, which will mark the UFC’s first in Buffalo since UFC 7 in 1995, will take place at KeyBank Center, home of the NHL’s Sabres.