Big Upcoming UFC Events
This year has already spoiled UFC fans with some incredible events and bouts, none more shocking than Sean Strickland’s surprise victory over Khamzat Chimaev that saw the American retain the middleweight title he lost to Dricus du Plessis over two years ago. It was a performance for the ages and has every UFC fight fan eager for the next event.
There will be a whole host of top-drawer fight nights over the next couple of months, with all the best UFC betting online sites sure to be doing brisk business. You can discover those sites at MyTopSportsbooks. There might be some other high-profile sports events happening this summer, but MMA – and UFC, in particular – continue to give the fans what they want.
A lot has already been said about how impressive that Strickland win was, so in this article, we are all about looking ahead. We’ll be previewing the next few big events, as well as taking a look at the weekly Fight Nights that continue to showcase up-and-coming fighters you need to know all about.
Fight Nights
As we all try to calm down after the electrifying atmosphere of UFC 328, MMA fans can continue to watch the best in the business at the end of May and the beginning of June. There are two Fight Nights before we mark a very special celebration at the White House, with a trip to Macau before UFC returns to Las Vegas.
The Galaxy Arena in Macau is the destination for a headline bout between Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo, in which both fighters will be attempting to climb the rankings in the hope of challenging bantamweight belt-holder Peter Yan. A week later, UFC returns to the Meta Arena with a welterweight clash between Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim as the headline event.
UFC Freedom 250
As exciting as those two Fight Nights will be, the next really big event on the MMA calendar is the very special UFC Freedom 250 event, a special night celebrating the sport as well as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The White House itself welcomes UFC for the event, staging the bouts on the South Lawn.
We now know that there will be seven bouts, across nearly all the weight divisions, including two title fights. Co-headlining will be a heavyweight championship bout between two-time former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane. Current belt holder Tom Aspinall is unable to compete due to an eye injury suffered during his title defense against Gane in October.
If that wasn’t enough, there is more pride and honor on the line in a lightweight championship title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. Topuria is the reigning champion (and former featherweight title holder), while Gaethje beat Paddy Pimblett in Las Vegas in January to set himself up for this meeting.
June Fight Nights
After the dust settles on the White House lawn, there will be two more Fight Nights in June as we approach the second half of the year. First up, it’s back to the spiritual home of UFC, Las Vegas, with a night headlined by a flyweight rematch between Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi.
Next up will be the UFC’s second-ever trip to Baku in Azerbaijan. The locals are sure to be eagerly anticipating the night, which is set to be headlined by a lightweight bout between hometown hero Rafael Fiziev and Mexican fighter Manuel Torres. It is a stacked night of fight entertainment, with 12 bouts scheduled at the time of writing.
UFC 329
Spreading the world of MMA and UFC is an important thing for the organization to be involved with, so that night in Baku is sure to be explosive. But the biggest news in the UFC world in recent weeks has been the announcement that Conor McGregor will be returning to the octagon after a five-year absence.
Scheduled to take place during UFC’s annual international Fight Week in July, with the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony just two days before UFC 329, this event will feature the man who many believe is the best there has ever been. Paddy Pimblett is scheduled to face Benoit Saint Dennis in a lightweight contest, but the headline event is McGregor’s return to fight Max Holloway, in a rematch of their 2013 bout, where the Irishman won on points.
It will be a tough return to the octagon for McGregor, with Holloway currently rated as the number four-ranked lightweight fighter. This meeting will be in the welterweight division and will be a huge test for McGregor as he looks to reclaim his place in the UFC world. McGregor broke his leg in his last fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
UFC in July and August
As we await details of UFC 330 and the organization’s first trip to Philadelphia since 2019, there are also three more Fight Nights you should mark your calendar for in July and August. After McGregor’s return, we’ll first get to watch UFC events in Oklahoma City, Abu Dhabi, and Belgrade.
The wide range of global locations chosen to host these events just shows the reach and popularity of MMA in general, and UFC in particular. We are going to experience some very big and special events in the next few months, but the action will continue throughout the year, ensuring that UFC remains the biggest name in professional fighting.
