A middleweight title fight is headed to Chicago.
The rematch is on.
Robert Whittaker is set to defend his UFC middleweight title for the first time against former foe Yoel Romero at UFC 225. After a report from BJPenn.com, MMAFighting.com reported the news Tuesday evening. UFC officials have yet to announce the pairing.
Whittaker and Romero first met at UFC 213 last July for the interim 185-pound belt; Whittaker won a competitive five-round decision.
That was Whittaker’s last bout, as he has been sidelined since with an injury. He was promoted to undisputed champion when Georges St-Pierre vacated the title a month after winning it against Michael Bisping.
The champ is riding an eight-fight winning streak.
Since his first unsuccessful UFC title bid, Romero has knocked out former titleholder Luke Rockhold in the UFC 221 main event last month. The bout was expected to be for the interim championship, but Romero missed weight and was subsequently ineligible to take home UFC gold with a victory.
UFC 225 takes place at United Center in Chicago on June 9.
MMAFighting.com’s report did not state whether Whittaker vs. Romero 2 is the pay-per-view main event.