UFC 235 shaping up to be 2019 card of the year

UFC 235, which takes place March 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is already shaping up to be a contender for MMA event of the year 2019. That comes with the promotion still to announce a number of bouts on the card.

According to multiple reports, newly crowned light heavyweight Jon Jones will return to the Octagon to defend his 205lb crown against prospect Anthony Smith. That’s if Nevada issues a fight license to the 31-year-old following his recent drug testing controversy.

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“Bones” is only a week removed from his UFC 232 victory over Alexander Gustafsson, and the slated main event would mark one of his fastest turnarounds in his MMA career.

Woodley to defend 170lb strap against Kamaru Usman

Elsewhere on the card, it is expected that Tyron Woodley will defend his welterweight championship against number-two-ranked contender Kamaru Usman in the co-main event.

Woodley seemingly confirmed the tilt in a brief interview with TMZ Sports, in which he vowed to take down brash interim champion Colby Covington in the summer after getting through UFC 235.

Stacked undercard

Meanwhile, veteran star Robbie Lawler will face former ONE FC and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren at the event, after the contest was moved following the cancellation of UFC 233. Askren joined the UFC as part of a swap deal with ONE for former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, and his debut has been highly anticipated for some time. Accomplished striker and wrestler Lawler will provide the perfect test on his first time out.

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Also of intrigue on the card are slated bouts between Cody Garbrandt and Pedro Munhoz, Jeremy Stephens and Zabit Magomedsharipov, and Holly Holm versus Aspen Ladd. With OSP, Diego Sanchez and Mickey Gall believed to be filling out the undercard, it’s clear the UFC is banking on the event being one of the best of the year.