So far, no fights have reported for the first event in Brazil since March 2020.
Two years after its last event in Brazil, the UFC reportedly returns to one of mixed martial arts’ most traditional countries. According to Combate, Rio de Janeiro will hold a card on May 7, which could be PPV event UFC 274, though that information is not yet confirmed.
The last time the Octagon made a trip to Brazil was in March 14, 2020, a mark in the UFC’s timeline. It was the last card before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the promotion to stop its activities for almost two months, returning only on May 9 with UFC 249.
With a card set in the country’s capital of Brasilia, UFC Fight Night 170 saw then rising contender and now lightweight champion Charles Oliveira finish Kevin Lee with a guillotine on the main event of the evening.
Going back even further in time, the last UFC card held in Rio de Janeiro dates back to May 2019, at UFC 237. On that main event, Jessica Andrade became the strawweight champion with the most iconic win of her career, a power slam knockout of Rose Namajunas, who is now the division’s title-holder again.
An event planned for November 14, 2020, was originally planned to take place in RIo de Janeiro, However, those plans had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing number of cases in Brazil at the time.
If the next Rio de Janeiro card goes through, it will mark the UFC’s 11th card in the city. So far, no fights or athletes have been linked to the card by any news outlets or the promotion.