Chris Weidman vs. Jack Hermansson verbally agree to fight at UFC Oklahoma City

The UFC Oklahoma City main event is close to fruition.

A five-round middleweight fight pinning former UFC champ Chris Weidman against top contender Jack Hermansson has been verbally agreed to, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie on Thursday.

The person asked to remain anonymous as the bout is not set and the promotion has yet to make an announcement. The news was first reported by ESPN.

UFC Oklahoma City takes place Saturday, May 2 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The event does not have an official numerical designation, though it is expected to stream on ESPN+.

Weidman (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) moves back to middleweight after an unsuccessful attempt at the UFC’s light heavyweight division. At UFC on ESPN 6 in October, Weidman was knocked out in 103 seconds by future title challenger Dominick Reyes.

The former middleweight king has struggled recently, losing five of six fights. All five losses in that stretch came by knockout or TKO.

As for Hermansson (20-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC), the Norwegian fighter also seeks a return into the win column. “The Joker” won four straight fights and surged up the divisional ladder – en route to a September main event against Jared Cannonier. Despite being the hometown and betting favorite, Hermansson was defeated by second-round TKO.

The latest UFC Oklahoma City card now includes:

• Jack Hermansson vs. Chris Weidman
• Sarah Alpar vs. Duda Santana
• Claudia Gadelha vs. Marina Rodriguez