BREAKING: The Octagon heads to Houston!
@CharlesDoBronxs
vs @MikeChandlerMMA
for the undisputed 155 title.[
#UFC262 On-Sale April 2nd | Pre-Sale Info: https://t.co/jd8J83sxfV ] pic.twitter.com/HiYP64BvqD
— UFC (@ufc)
March 19, 2021
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is not
one-and-done for upcoming pay-per-view cards in packed arenas.
Late Thursday night, the UFC
accepted lightweight champ Khabib
Nurmagomedov’s retirement and reclaimed his vacated belt.
Moments later, the organization
announced it would be staging a lightweight championship bout
between Charles
Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) and Michael
Chandler (22-5) on top of
UFC 262. The event is set to take place on May 15, and its
location has now been announced on Friday. Per the
promotion, UFC 262 will take place in the Toyota Center in
Houston, in front of a full crowd.
This fight card will not be the UFC’s first since the pandemic to
allow for fans in the building. A few fights cards in Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates, starting with UFC on ABC 1 in January,
permitted a limited number in the building. The Las Vegas-based
league has opted to travel to Florida in April to put on UFC 261,
where it will return to the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in
Jacksonville, Fla. The Florida venue, as well as the Toyota Center,
will be allowing full seating capacity in the buildings, barring a
spike in coronavirus cases that causes restrictions.
One of the final pay-per-view events before the COVID-19 pandemic
came in the form of UFC 247 in February 2020, where Jon Jones
squared off with Dominick
Reyes for the light heavyweight crown inside of the Toyota
Center. This will be the seventh UFC event placed in the arena of
the Houston Rockets, with the first UFC 69 in 2007. All but one –
UFC Fight Night 104 in 2017 – have been pay-per-view cards.
Competing in the marquis position of UFC 262 will be the
lightweight championship affair pitting the surging Oliveira
against multiple-time Bellator MMA champ Chandler. Oliveira has won eight
bouts at 155 pounds to reach the top, while Chandler blasted
Dan
Hooker in his promotional debut to get a crack at the gold.
Both men hold a litany of records in their respective
organizations, with Oliveira maintaining the all-time submission
record with 14 as well as being tied with Donald
Cerrone for the finish record of 16. “Iron Mike” still
maintains the lead with 13 stoppages among all Bellator fighters
for the most finishes in his previous company as well.
