Daniel Cormier got what he wanted.
The newly minted UFC light heavyweight champion was hoping his first title defense would be in Housotn, which is not too far from where he grew up in Lafayette, La. Cormier’s wish was granted.
“DC” will take on Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 192 on Oct. 3 in Houston, the UFC announced Saturday during the UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
Cormier (16-1) is coming off a third-round submission win over Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in May. He won the vacant belt in that fight after former champion Jon Jones was stripped of the title following a felony hit-and-run arrest. Cormier fell to Jones by unanimous decision in January. Cormier, 36, owns wins over Dan Henderson, Frank Mir and Josh Barnett.
Gustafsson (16-3) has lost two of his last three fights and most recently fell via first-round knockout to Johnson in January. However, he was granted the title shot based mostly on his past performance against Jones in a loss. Gustafsson, 28, took Jones to the brink back in 2013, giving the former champion the toughest fight of his career. The Sweden native has wins over Mauricio Rua, Thiago Silva and Jimi Manuwa.
A light heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Ryan Bader has also been announced for the card. The UFC last went to Houston for UFC 166 in October 2013, an event headlined by Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.