Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will face Ryan Bader in the main event of UFC on FOX 18 on January 30th, 2016 at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center.
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However, should Bader, 32, beat Johnson in January, he should finally get his title fight.
The UFC announced the main event on Wednesday night, along with several undercard bouts in Tarec Saffiedine vs. Jake Ellenberger, George Sullivan vs. Alexander Yakovlev, Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Joaquim Silva, and Felipe Olivieri vs. Tony Martin.
Bader had hoped to get a title shot against champion Daniel Cormier, but the Las Vegas-based fight promotion opted to line him up against Johnson instead.
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.
Johnson (19-5) was last seen walking away with a violent second round knockout over Jimi Manuwa at UFC 191 in September. Prior to that, in early 2014, Sponge made his Octagon debut in Singapore against Hyun Gyu Lim and picked up a unanimous decision win in their five-round headliner.
Ellenberger (30-10) has gone 1-4 in his last five outings, with a lone victory coming against Josh Koscheck earlier this year, via submission. Most recently, “The Juggernaut” suffered a first-round knockout loss against Stephen Thompson at “The Ultimate Fighter 21” finale on July 12.
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Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news regarding UFC on FOX 18: “Bader vs. Johnson” as it develops.
