The UFC is headed to Brazil in February.
The UFC is getting to work on its event schedule for 2019, and now we know when and where its first trip to Brazil next year will be.
MMA Fighting confirmed a report from Combate that a Fight Night card is set for Fortaleza on Saturday, February 2nd. UFC executive David Shaw told media last September that the plan for Brazil in 2019 was three shows, with two Fight Night events and one pay-per-view.
The UFC last went to Fortaleza in March 2017, when Kelvin Gastelum knocked out Vitor Belfort in the main event, although Gastelum testing positive for marijuana led to the win being flipped to a no-contest. Its only other appearance in the city was way back in 2013, when Fabricio Werdum tapped out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of the TUF Brazil 2 season finale.
It is unknown whether or not UFC Fortaleza on ESPN, ESPN+, or UFC Fight Pass, although a Top Rank Boxing card headlined by a light heavyweight championship rematch between Eleider Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev is already finalized for ESPN on that same day.