White reveals final four PPV tours
Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference at UFC 162 that the UFC finalized the dates for the final four PPV's of the year. Following the format of Canelo Alvarez vs. Floyd Mayweather they'll also be doing a multi-city press tour starting July 29th.
The tour will visit Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Rio de Janiero (Brazil), and Stockholm (Sweden) with Ronda Rousey, Meisha Tate, Jon Jones, Alex Gustafsson, Johny Hendricks, Georges St. Pierre, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos going on the tour directly to promote all four cards.
UFC 165, which will have Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson for the UFC light heavyweight title, is scheduled officially for September 21 in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. This will mark Jones' sixth title defense and if successful will set the light heavyweight record for title defenses, passing Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock (tied at five apiece). Gustafsson is coming off a decision win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC on Fox 5.
UFC 166 will feature the trilogy fight between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez in Houston, TX. It is scheduled for October 19th at the Toyota Center. Junior Dos Santos knocked out Velasquez at the inaugural UFC on Fox card in under 90 seconds for the tite and Cain reclaimed it via unanimous decision at UFC 155. It will mark Cain's second title defense as he's coming off a stoppage victory over Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva at UFC 160. JDS knocked out Mark Hunt on the same card to earn the title shot.
UFC 167 will feature Georges St. Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks for the UFC welterweight title. It is set for November 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. GSP will be making his return to Nevada, having last fought their at UFC 100 in a successful title defense against Thiago Alves. Hendricks is coming off a unanimous decision win over Carlos Condit at UFC 158; GSP defended his title against Nick Diaz on the same card.
UFC 168 will feature Ronda Rousey vs. Meisha Tate's second fight. It is scheduled for December 28 at the MGM Grand, as well, and marks Rousey's return to Vegas since appearing on a Strikeforce: Challengers card. Rousey is coming off her first title defense at UFC 157, where she submitted Liz Carmouche via armbar. Tate and Rousey are both coaching this season's "The Ultimate Fighter," the first to feature male and female fighters in the same house. Tate and Rousey first met in March 2012 in Strikeforce with Rousey winning via first round armbar submission.
