Two of the UFC’s top heavyweights will look to get back on track in July.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will meet Cheick Kongo at UFC 149 on July 21 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Calgary Sun reported on Tuesday. UFC president Dana White tweeted on Wednesday that the fight will not headline the pay-per-view.
Speaking of which, Jose Aldo was originally scheduled to headline the card, but White said on Tuesday that the promotion is considering moving him to UFC 147 on June 23 in Brazil. He was open to the idea of booking Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson as the UFC 149 main event but said the organization has yet to finalize those plans.
Nogueira (33-7-1, 1 NC) hasn’t fought since he was submitted by Frank Mir via kimura at UFC 140 in December. Nogueira never tapped, however, the fight was stopped after Mir broke his right arm. The 35-year-old Brazilian is 2-3 in his last five fights.
As for Kongo (17-7-2), the 36-year-old Frenchman recently had his four-fight unbeaten streak snapped by Mark Hunt when he lost via TKO at UFC 144 in February. The loss marked his first since his Dec. 2009 submission to Mir at UFC 107.
UFC 149 will take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. It will mark the UFC’s first visit to the city.