Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira, Alistair Overeem vs. Frank Mir, Set for UFC 169

By John Heinis on Friday, October 4th 2013
Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira, Alistair Overeem vs. Frank Mir, Set for UFC 169

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson II will have to wait.

Jones will next defend the UFC light heavyweight strap against surging contender Glover Teixeira at UFC 169 on February 1, with Alistair Overeem vs. Frank Mir serving as the co-main event of the evening. Newsday first reported the matchups on Thursday.

“Bones” extended his win streak to 10 when he won a narrow decision against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 late last month, a spectacular brutal and bloody affair that has “Fight of the Year” written all over it.

Given the fact that “The Mauler” put the champ in danger numerous times throughout the fight, with many pundits giving the Swedish striker the nod after five rounds, many fans and fighters alike thought it was academic Gustafsson would get an immediate rematch.

Instead, the UFC has opted to go in another director, giving the heavy-handed Teixeira a crack at the gold.

The Brazilian hasn’t tasted defeat since March 2005, winning an incredible 20 bouts in a row since then. The 33-year-old also boasts a 5-0 mark inside the Octagon.

Meanwhile, Overeem vs. Mir was originally set to take place at UFC 167 in December, but has been pushed back to err on the side of caution since Mir suffered a knockout loss to Josh Barnett in late August.

Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has suffered three decisive losses in a row, while “The Demolition Man, an ex-Strikeforce and K-1 titleholder, has been knocked out in consecutive bouts.

Therefore, this high-profile heavyweight clash is essentially a loser leaves town bout.

UFC 169 takes place at the Prudential Center in New Jersey during Super Bowl weekend, which is also being hosted in the Garden State.

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