As promised, the UFC is returning to Jacksonville, Florida — and a key featherweight fight is coming along for the ride.
Previously reported as the main event of the promotion’s June 17, 2023 card, Ilia Topuria vs. Josh Emmett will now serve as the Jacksonville headliner on June 24. The event will air on ABC, per UFC President Dana White — the fifth card the promotion has held on the broadcast network.
UFC on ABC 5 will unfold at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, a venue the organization set up shop in early on during the pandemic. White has previously called the return to the Florida city a “thank you” for Jacksonville’s mayor, who helped them stay in business as the lengthy coronavirus pandemic set in.
“…on June 24, we’re back in Jacksonville, Florida with a UFC Fight Night card that will be live and free on ABC the network,” White said in a video announcement confirming the Jacksonville date and main event, as well as multiple other stops in the promotion’s upcoming schedule.
Combate was first to report the Jacksonville date.
Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria are fighters White described as “two savages with knockout power, and that is a very fun fight in the 145lb division.”
Emmett is coming off a loss to Yair Rodriguez in an interim featherweight title fight at UFC 284 in Australia back in February. Topuria was last seen getting the better of Bryce Mitchell in December.
Two other fights have been reported for the Jacksonville card thus far:
- Tatsuro Taira vs. Kleydson Rodrigues
- Maycee Barber vs. Amanda Ribas
