It's official: WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will defend his title against AJ Styles on SmackDown LIVE in Manchester, England. Cathy Kelley has all the details, including reaction from SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon in this breaking news edition of WWE Now.

AJ Styles will challenge Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship tonight on SmackDown LIVE from Manchester, England, in a bout that has major Survivor Series implications. SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon made the announcement on Twitter Thursday afternoon, as a result of Mahal’s savage attack on Styles this last Tuesday.

Due to @JinderMahal vicious attack on @AJStylesOrg, he will defend the #WWEChampionship against AJ this Tues. in Manchester, UK on #SDLive.

— Shane McMahon (@shanemcmahon) November 2, 2017

The Phenomenal One has made it clear for several weeks that Mahal and the WWE Title are in his sights, but The Modern Day Maharaja retaliated by saying that there is no worthy competition on SmackDown LIVE. Mahal has instead been laser-focused on his upcoming Champion vs. Champion bout with Raw’s Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar. That slight has not sat well with Styles, who has physically gone after the WWE Champion on several occasions.

Instead of stepping into the ring with The Phenomenal One, Mahal sent his charges, The Singh Brothers, into battle with Styles to defend his honor. To send a message to The Modern Day Maharaja, Styles dispatched of both Samir and Sunil Singh in quick, brutal fashion. However, after Styles’ victory over Samir last Tuesday, Mahal blindsided The Phenomenal One, brutalizing him in a vicious attack at ringside before planting him into the canvas with the devastating Khallas.

Mahal has been set on proving that he is the “beastmaster” and the top champion in all of WWE, but his Survivor Series showdown with The Beast could be in jeopardy if Styles dethrones him. In response to the announcement of this match, a confident Styles had the following to say on social media:

I’m sure he’ll bring his two cronies...
I’ll bring a Phenomenal Forearm and a Styles Clash. #AndNew #SDLive https://t.co/l8TU0yKf5w

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) November 2, 2017

Mahal, on the other hand, is not thrilled about the match, but promises he will be leaving England as champion:

What does the Modern Day Maharaja have to say about @ShaneMcMahon’s HUGE announcement for #SDLive?!@JinderMahal @SinghBrosWWE pic.twitter.com/H1SJ9Sc4nn

— WWE (@WWE) November 2, 2017

What will happen in this monumental WWE Championship Match? Tune in to SmackDown LIVE tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network to find out!