Anthony Johnson will fight fellow light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader in the headline clash in the first UFC on Fox event of 2016 on Jan. 30.
The five-round fight will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, as Johnson (20-5) looks to claim an 11th victory in 12 fights, per UFC.com’s Thomas Gerbasi.
Victory in Newark for Bader (21-4), in particular, would likely set him up to be the next contender for the UFC light heavyweight title.
Rumble’s only recent defeat came by submission against Daniel Cormier at UFC 187 in May as the pair fought for the then-vacant title.
Bader has triumphed in each of his last five fights, his most recent victory coming in October against Rashad Evans.
Darth’s previously imminent shot at Cormier has been scuppered slightly since the reinstatement of former titleholder Jon Jones after his suspension following his arrest for a hit-and-run.
Jones will likely now get an immediate shot at Cormier to claim back the title he was stripped of, per Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie.
However, should Bader, 32, beat Johnson in January, he should finally get his title fight.
Following the defeat to Cormier, the 31-year-old Johnson returned to his winning ways with a knockout victory of Jimi Manuwa in September.
A defeat of Bader would be further proof that he is back to form and worthy of another shot at becoming the UFC light heavyweight champion.
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