The UFC will head back to London, England next March for UFC 286.
Promotion officials announced the news on Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation which had a numbered event rumored for the English capital in the month of March. As it turns out, that talk was correct, with UFC 286 set to transpire at the O2 in London on March 18, 2023.
It's happening! We're taking #UFC286 to London and it's going to be a big one! 🇬🇧
Register now for early access to tickets 🎟️ https://t.co/wg9VkLrok2 pic.twitter.com/6z9065E6jn
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) December 7, 2022
UFC President Dana White, who took the organization to London twice in 2022, had spoken openly of wanting to host a Per-Per-View event in the city, following the success of the company’s post-pandemic return. While not officially announced, it is likely that UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, who hails from nearby Birmingham, will headline the event.
A rematch with Kamaru Usman, who Edwards knocked out at UFC 277 this past July, is the front runner in terms of challengers.
The UFC made London a priority after returning to the road earlier this year. This past March, they stopped at the O2 for a Fight Night card now recognized as one of the greatest non-PPV UFC events of all time. That saw breakout performances from the likes of Tom Aspinall, Paddy Pimblett, and Molly McCann.
A return engagement followed in July, and while it didn’t quite match the magic of the original, the second Fight Night card at the O2 was still a rousing success.
No match-ups have been announced as of yet for UFC 286, which marks the promotion’s 14th trip to London overall, and 13th show at the O2 Arena. The organization’s London debut, in 2002, came at the Royal Albert Hall.
Tickets for UFC 286 go on sale at 10:00 a.m. GMT on Friday, January 27 via AXS and Ticketmaster. A Fight Club pre-sale takes place on Wednesday, January 25.
