Demetrious Johnson will put his title on the line at UFC 201 in Atlanta
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Atlanta will now feature two title fights.
Demetrious Johnson will defend the flyweight title against Wilson Reis at UFC 201 on July 30 at Philips Arena, UFC officials confirmed on Wednesday.
A welterweight title bout between Tyron Woodley and champion Robbie Lawler was announced last week.
Johnson has successfully defended the belt eight consecutive times since becoming the first 125-pound champion in UFC history with a 2012 win over Joseph Benavidez.
He is coming off a first-round knockout of Henry Cejudo in April.
Reis is a surprise title challenger, but Johnson already has wins over most of the top contenders. He has won three of four fights since dropping to flyweight in 2014.
Reis, a Brazilian, earned a unanimous decision over Dustin Ortiz in January.
The former Elite XC bantamweight champion is the ranked No. 8 in the official UFC flyweight rankings.
A search for fresh contenders is already underway.
Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter” will begin airing in Las Vegas this summer with the top 125-pound fighters in the world not yet under contract with the UFC. The winner of the season will earn a flyweight title bout in December, likely against the winner of the UFC 201 co-main event.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
