UFC President now confirms Jones vs Bader match up at UFC 126

After a lot of back and forth, it looks like now everyone will be safely assured that Jones Jones against Ryan Bader, a pivotal match up in the light heavyweight division, will continue as scheduled for February.

Previously, UFC President Dana White cited that some issues with Bader would have conflicted with the scheduled match up. Originally, both competitors were expected to meet in December, however the former Division I wrestling All-American had some other business to tend to… the guy is getting married.

So, the match up was held off until February, adorning the UFC 126 card, which is expected to be headlined by current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his title for a record setting 8th time when he meets former teammate Vitor Belfort.

Already shaping up to be one of the best cards in recent memory, with the addition of Jones vs Bader, the aforementioned middleweight title fight, and of course a match up of epic proportions: when former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin will square off in the co-main event of the evening in another 205-pond match up.

Dana White recently confirmed the Jones/Bader bout recently following the UFC 121 event last Saturday.

“Yes, the fight will happen with Ryan Bader,” said White on Comcast Sportsnet’s Fight Fix show.

The bout had been up in the air when White suggested during a Q and A session at UFC 120 in London that the bout may be off the table, but now it seems like everything is coming back together.

Dana also suggests that the winner will inevitable fight a top-5 opponent in their next meeting and will work their way towards a title shot. Jones has built up a lot of steam in his rise atop the light heavyweight division with crushing victories over the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Vladimir Matyushenko and even in defeat (albeit a disqualification) Jones looked every bit as dominant against Matt Hamill, who recently claimed a unanimous decision victory over former UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz last Saturday.

So, MMA peeps, are you pleased that the match up is still intact? Sound off in the comment section below.