UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen will finally settle their rivalry in just five months and 23 days.
MMA Junkie reports that the UFC has made Jones’ next title defense official for New Jersey’s Prudential Center in Newark on April 27th. It will be Sonnen’s third time challenging for a UFC title in five fights, with two unsuccessful attempts at Anderson Silva‘s middleweight belt.
For Jones, this title defense comes with some history-making opportunities.
If he notches a victory over Sonnen, Jones will become only the second man to defend the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship five times in a row. Jones has previously stated an intent to surpass that record, which is currently held by UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz.
Additionally, Jones will potentially climb the ladder for all-time consecutive title defenses, where he is currently surpassed by Anderson Silva (10), Georges St. Pierre (6), Tito Ortiz (5) and Matt Hughes (5).
Jones and Sonnen are currently filming Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas, which will air in January next year in a new timeslot on the FX channel.
Chael Sonnen is a heavy 6-to-1 underdog for this title fight, although betting website BestFightOdds shows that former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort was actually a much longer bet when he stepped in to face Jones at UFC 152.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com