Blockbuster title rematch slated to headline UFC 210 in Buffalo
While it won’t make up for the four straight Super Bowl losses or no playoff appearances in this millennium for their beloved Bills, the people of Buffalo, N.Y., will get a blockbuster UFC fight in their town.
Daniel Cormier will defend the light heavyweight title in a rematch against top contender Anthony Johnson in the main event of UFC 2010 at KeyBank Center on April 8.
UFC officials confirmed the bout on Wednesday.
The event will mark the organization’s first appearance in Buffalo since UFC 7 in 1995. State officials banned professional mixed martial arts events a short time later, a prohibition that remained for more than two decades
UFC 205 in November at Madison Square Garden marked the return to the state, a successful event that was followed up by a show in Albany the following month. UFC 208 is scheduled for Brooklyn in February.
Four events are expected per year in New York.
Cormier won the vacant title with a third-round submission victory over Johnson in May 2015. He defended the title with a split-decision victory over Alexander Gustafsson later that year.
His only fight of 2016 was a one-sided victory in a non-title bout over Anderson Silva, who took the fight on just three days notice after former champ Jon Jones was forced to pull out of a scheduled matchup with Cormier due to a positive drug test.
Cormier and Johnson were slated to meet in Toronto back in December, but Cormier suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the bout. He had also pulled out of a scheduled bout against Jones early in 2016.
Johnson has recorded three consecutive knockout wins since the loss to Cormier, with only one of those fights going longer than 90 seconds.
UFC 210 also includes a middleweight bout between Gegard Mousasi and former champion Chris Weidman.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.