The UFC’s brass waited less than a month after Dominick Cruz’s ACL injury to find a new challenger for bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw.
Per a report by UFC.com, Dillashaw will attempt to defend his title for the second time when he tangles with top-ranked bantamweight and former champ Renan Barao in a rematch in the main event at UFC 186 at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Feb. 14.
A bout between Canadian second-ranked welterweight Rory MacDonald and former Olympic judoka and fifth-ranked Hector Lombard will co-headline the card.
Additionally, former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will appear in the Octagon for the first time since signing with Bellator MMA. Jackson will face 13th-ranked Fabio Maldonado.
Dana White just announced on TSN that Dillashaw-Barao 2, MacDonald-Lombard, ‘Rampage’-Maldonado are set for UFC 186 in Montreal.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) January 18, 2015
In a bout that garnered “Fight of the Night” honors, Dillashaw took the bantamweight belt from Barao with a shocking fifth-round TKO at UFC 173 in May. Heading into the bout, Barao was riding a 32-fight unbeaten streak and was considered an 8-to-1 favorite (-800) to defeat Dillashaw (+550) by OddsShark.com.
Barao and Dillashaw were scheduled for a rematch just three months after UFC 173, but Barao was hospitalized during the final stages of his weight cut and subsequently pulled from the card.
Dillashaw KO’d Joe Soto in his first title defense at UFC 177 in August. Barao submitted 14th-ranked Mitch Gagnon in his last outing at UFC Fight Night 58 in December.
Jackson, who finished his first stint in the UFC on a three-fight losing streak that included a loss over light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, won three straight fights in Bellator MMA, two of which were KOs. Maldonado scored his fourth win in five fights by TKO’ing Hans Stringer at UFC 179 in October.
Also, ninth-ranked middleweight Michael Bisping will face 10th-ranked C.B. Dolloway in a bout on the main card. Middleweights Joe “Diesel” Riggs and Patrick Cote will also lock horns in a main-card bout.
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