It’s the UFC’s first Brazil-based pay-per-view since 2019.
At long last, the UFC will be back in Brazil.
The promotion announced earlier this week that the Octagon is headed for Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro on January 21, 2023. UFC 283 will be the first pay-per-view in Brazil since Jessica Andrade knocked out Rose Namajunas at UFC 239 in 2019 (also in Rio).
Of course, the last time the UFC was in Brazil was a Fight Night show in Brasilia back in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic was prompting global lockdowns and restrictions. The Brasilia show was held without fans, after which the UFC had to postpone several events through May.
The other big announcement for Brazilian UFC fans was the new broadcast deal. Starting in 2023, Globo (and Combate) is out and Band is in. UFC Fight Pass is also coming to Brazil on January 1st and will air a majority of the promtion’s shows exclusively on the streaming service, while Band will have 12 shows airing on free TV (via MMA Fighting).
“Anyone who follows this sport knows how important Brazil is to mixed martial arts and to UFC,” Dana White said. “Brazil is one of our biggest and fastest growing markets and has produced some of the best athletes this sport has ever seen. Fight Pass is going to take our business to the next level by delivering all our content directly to our fans.
“Plus, we’re teaming up with Band, one of the biggest broadcasters in Brazil, which is going to provide massive exposure for UFC and help us grow our fan base and make this sport bigger than ever.”
No fights have been announced for UFC 283 as of yet. At the moment the UFC’s current Brazilian champions are flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo and two-division women’s champion Amanda Nunes.