Getty Dana White, Sean Strickland & Charles Oliveira
On Thursday, UFC president Dana White announced several upcoming headlining and co-main event features.
White took to social media and first announced that May 8’s UFC 288 received a much-needed boost. “In two weeks, we’re back in Newark, New Jersey, for the first time in three years for UFC 288, headlined by Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo for the undisputed UFC bantamweight championship,” White said. “But that’s not all. The co-main event will be a five-round welterweight matchup between No. 4-ranked Belal Muhammad and No. 5 Gilbert Burns, who just beat Jorge Masvidal two weeks ago in Miami.
“What I love about this fight is that they both wanted it to be five rounds. Two of the best guys in the division and both think they deserve a title shot after this. They wanted five rounds, so I gave it to them.”
With champion Leon Edwards presumably fighting No. 2 Colby Covington later this year, the winner of Muhammad versus Burns could find themselves fighting the victor for the 170-pound championship.
Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush Moved to UFC 289 in June
A lightweight title eliminator match between former champ Charles Oliveira and No. 4 Beneil Dariush was supposed to serve as the co-headliner. But, Oliveira suffered an injury and the fight was postponed. Well, the president then announced the 155-pound clash would move to the next pay-per-view event — UFC 289 in Vancouver, Canada, on June 10 — and will once again sit in the co-main slot.
“I love this fight and it has huge title implications in the lightweight division,” White said.
Current champion Islam Makhachev has been linked to an October return in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in October, and the winner of Oliveira versus Dariush could find themselves fighting for the belt with a win in June.
White Announced Multiple Middleweight Main Events Happening in Las Vegas, As Well As a Featherweight Headliner & Return to London, England
White then announced a slew of main events. June 3’s UFC Fight Night card will take place at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it’ll be topped by a 185-pound tilt between No. 10 Jack Hermansson and No. 13 Brendan Allen.
Two weeks later and the UFC will broadcast from the Apex again. Two more middleweights will headline a UFC Fight Night card, but the match will have major championship implications. No. 3 Marvin Vettori will fight No. 4 Jared Cannonier on June 17, with the winner placing themselves one step closer to another shot at taking Israel Adesanya’s belt.
“Both guys are absolute beasts and the winner will be on a very short list for the next title shot at 185 pounds,” White said.
The Octagon will head to Jacksonville, Florida, on June 24 with a Fight Night event that features No. 5-ranked featherweight Josh Emmett versus No. 9 Ilia Topuria on the top of the bill.
One week later and the promotion will utilize the UFC Apex Center once again to house a middleweight main event. No. 7 Sean Strickland will fight the unranked Abusupiyan “Abus” Magomedov.
“Sean Strickland fights for the third time in less than seven months,” White said. “This guy is always ready to fight. He’s taking on a guy that literally nobody wants to fight. Abus Magomedov — he is a middleweight with 20 finishes in 25 pro wins.”
Lastly, the UFC president announced the organization would return to London, England, for a UFC Fight Night event on July 22. No fights were announced for the card, however.