UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will make his next title defense against Thiago Santos at UFC 239 on July 6 in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White told ESPN.
The 205-pound bout will headline the pay-per-view event, which will take place at T-Mobile Arena. Additional sources confirmed that bout agreements have not been signed, but all parties have verbally agreed to the fight.
Additionally, dual-division champion Amanda Nunes will defend her 135-pound bantamweight title against Holly Holm in the co-main event of UFC 239. Verbal agreements are in place for that fight as well, sources said.
Jones (24-1) teased fans with a public challenge of former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic on social media on Wednesday, but that matchup was never seriously discussed, per sources. Jones is coming off a dominant title defense against Anthony Smith at UFC 235. The Santos bout will mark his third appearance in seven months.
Santos (21-6), of Rio de Janeiro, is a former middleweight who has surged to title contention behind light heavyweight victories over Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz.
Nunes (17-4) is a three-time defending bantamweight champion. She moved up to the 145-pound featherweight division in December and upset Cris "Cyborg" Justino in a first-round knockout for the UFC's featherweight championship. She trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Holm (12-4), of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is coming off a decision win against Megan Anderson last June. She was scheduled to fight Aspen Ladd in March, but that bout was ultimately canceled and Ladd has since been rescheduled.