The octagon will return to Perth, Australia for UFC 251 this June.
Promotion officials announced the news on social media Monday, revealing the location and date for the upcoming card, which will go down at the RAC Arena on June 7. The company’s official website, UFC.com, also launched a mini-site where fans can sign up to be notified of pre-sale info and on-sale dates. The site features a “Visit Perth” section where interested travelers can check out what the city has to offer. UFC Travel Packages are also available.
The last time the world’s premiere MMA outfit was in Perth was in 2018. UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold saw Yoel Romero step up on short notice against Luke Rockhold, when then-middleweight champ Robert Whittaker was forced off the card due to injury. Romero’s thunderous knockout of Rockhold, himself a former champ at 185lbs, earned him a title shot against Whittaker.
The UFC was in nearby Auckland, New Zealand this past weekend. They were last in Australia in October, with UFC 243. That card saw Israel Adesanya unify the promotion’s interim and undisputed middleweight titles with a stunning defeat of Whittaker. ‘The Last Stylebender’ would figure to be a lock for UFC 251 under other circumstances, but he is scheduled to compete at UFC 248 in March against Romero, making such a short-turnaround questionable.
The previously reported Valentina Shevchenko vs. Joanne Calderwood is expected to feature at UFC 251.
