We finally have a date set for Max Holloway’s next title defense.
UFC President Dana White confirmed on Friday night to multiple news outlets that the UFC featherweight champion will defend his title against rising contender Brian Ortega at the upcoming UFC 226 pay-per-view event.
Confirmed to me by @danawhite: @BrianTcity fighting for @ufc featherweight belt vs. @BlessedMMA at #UFC226 in Vegas July 7.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) April 21, 2018
Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega is on for UFC 226 on July 7, per Dana White. First reported by @MMAjunkie. Good looking card for T-Mobile Arena!
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 21, 2018
Holloway was scheduled to make his next title defense against former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 but had to put out due to injury.
If you recall, this bout was originally scheduled for the UFC 218 pay-per-view event. However, Edgar was forced to withdraw from the fight after suffering a broken orbital bone in training.
This led to Holloway fighting Jose Aldo in a rematch, which saw Holloway successfully retain his title with a grisly third-round TKO.
Holloway tried to save the UFC 223 pay-per-view event once Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov on short notice, which was the original main event for the lightweight title, was scrapped after Ferguson pulled out with an injury.
However, he wasn’t able to make weight in time and didn’t fight at the show as a result of the commission pulling him.
On the flip side, Ortega beat Edgar at the UFC 222 pay-per-view, which secured the opportunity to challenge for the featherweight title.
He is unbeaten in his MMA career and holds wins over the likes of Edgar, Cub Swanson, Renato Moicano, and Clay Guida.
UFC 226 is set to take place on Saturday, July 6, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass. Here is the updated card for the event:
Champ Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier – for heavyweight title
Champ Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega – for featherweight title
Raphael Assuncao vs. Rob Font
Khalil Rountree vs. Gokhan Saki
Yancy Medeiros vs. Mike Perry
Paulo Costa vs. Uriah Hall
Derrick Lewis vs. Francis Ngannou
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