UFC News: Cyborg likely to return in July, DJ to defend flyweight title

Wednesday’s UFC Tonight was full of news on upcoming fights, some of the ‘Wow!’ variety and some of the ‘Meh’ variety. 

UFC 201

With UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler set to return to action at Atlanta’s UFC 201 (July 30) against Tyron Woodley, the rest of the main card is starting to take shape with a new title match and another catchweight fight featuring a female destroyer of worlds.

In the co-main event, flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will defend against #6 ranked Wilson Reis, he of the one-fight win streak. 3-1 as a flyweight, he’s essentially filling a role here as Johnson wants to continue to fight frequently in an effort to break Anderson Silva’s consecutive title defense streak. He’s at 8 right now and with Reis and a December title defense against a TUF winner on the docket, 10 looks to be an easy bet.

While the flyweights haven’t done much for the box office, UFC is hoping their next female breakout star will help as they are working on Cris Cyborg vs. Germaine de Randamie at a 140-pound catchweight fight on that Atlanta show. Cyborg wasted no time in dispatching Leslie Smith at UFC 198 in her Octagon debut while de Randamie picked up a big win in front of her hometown fans in Rotterdam a few weeks ago.

On Twitter, Cyborg is denying it vehemently in both English and Portguese.

Assuming those are the top three fights and considering the event falls in the UFC 200 afterglow, there’s not going to be a lot of buzz for this show with this promotionally low-key cast of characters involved. 

UFC Fight Night South Dakota

The July 13th event headlined by an awesome lightweight tilt in Michael Chiesa vs. Tony Ferguson got a sweet co-main event as bantamweight contenders Michael McDonald and John Lineker will do battle. McDonald returned after a two-year absence in January and submitted Masanori Kanehara in the second round, while Lineker won an entertaining decision over Rob Font at UFC 198 last Saturday.

Other Stuff

UFC is looking to bring an event to Cleveland, OH, this September and have heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic as the headliner. If that comes to pass and Alistair Overeem gets the opportunity, there goes The Reem’s plans to be on the November MSG show.