An important heavyweight fight is close to being added to the UFC’s July 6 card.
According to multiple sources, Francis Ngannou and Junior Dos Santos have agreed to fight at UFC 239 on July 6 in Las Vegas. The fight isn’t signed just yet, sources say, but is expected to be in the coming days.
This marks the second time the promotion has attempted to book this matchup. It was originally scheduled for UFC 215 in September 2017, but it was ultimately canceled after the United States Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended Dos Santos for a possible performance-enhancing drug violation. The Brazilian was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing when it was determined he unknowingly ingested a contaminated supplement that contained a banned substance.
The 35-year-old Dos Santos (21-5), a former UFC heavyweight champion, has won his past three fights. He most recently defeated Derrick Lewis via second-round TKO earlier this month.
Ngannou (13-3) is on a two-fight winning streak. The 32-year-old is coming off a 26-second knockout of Cain Velasquez in February.
The event, which will be headlined by Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos for the UFC light heavyweight title, will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It will also feature Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm for the UFC bantamweight title.