The first UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City in nearly a decade is just over a month away. The event will take place at Paycom Center on Saturday, July 18.
“We are thrilled to return to an incredible destination like Oklahoma City,” said UFC Executive Vice President of Event Development Peter Dropick.
The fight cards will feature a mix of top contenders and exciting prospects in several bouts, four men’s and two women’s so far. The action should begin with preliminary bouts at 4 p.m., followed by the main card later at 7 p.m.
Tickets went on sale Friday morning and are available through Ticketmaster, starting at $123.70 and reaching nearly $3,000 for the best floor seats.
The Main Event, expected to start at 7 p.m., has yet to be announced.
The six fights currently listed for Oklahoma City on July 18 include four men’s and two women’s. Here is the fight card so far:
- Jared Cannonier vs. Christian Leroy Duncan: Middleweight Bout
- Kevin Holland vs. Jacobe Smith: Welterweight Bout
Amanda Ribas vs. Fatima Kline: Women’s Strawweight Bout
Brad Tavares vs. Marc Andre Barriault: Middleweight Bout
Chase Hooper vs. Mitch Ramirez: Lightweight Bout
Veronica Hardy vs. Dione Barbosa: Women’s Flyweight Bout
Jared Cannonier vs. Christian Leroy Duncan: Middleweight Bout
Kevin Holland vs. Jacobe Smith: Welterweight Bout
Amanda Ribas vs. Fatima Kline: Women’s Strawweight Bout
Brad Tavares vs. Marc Andre Barriault: Middleweight Bout
Chase Hooper vs. Mitch Ramirez: Lightweight Bout
Veronica Hardy vs. Dione Barbosa: Women’s Flyweight Bout
The last fight in Oklahoma City was a UFC Fight Night in 2017 between Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa.
In 2009, OKC hosted UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard at the Cox Convention Center.
Tulsa has also hosted a pair of UFC events, including UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos at the BOK Center in 2014 and UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors in 1994.
There were plans for a fight in Oklahoma City in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship and is considered the premier mixed martial arts organization.
In UFC fights, two athletes compete inside an eight-sided fenced cage, called the Octagon, for three (non-title fights) or five five-minute rounds. Judges score on a 10-point system based on effective striking, grappling, aggression and Octagon control.
A fight can end in several ways: a knockout, a technical knockout, submission (when a fighter taps out or is locked into a painful position), or Judges’ Decision.
Restrictions include strikes to the back of the head, eye-gouging and the groin.
UFC is streamed exclusively on Paramount+. Select events are also broadcast on ESPN.
Isa Almeida is a trending reporter for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Isa? She can be reached at ialmeida@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @ialmeidasports. Support Isa’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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