Report: UFC Planning To Return To Rio In May 2022

The last time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was in Brazil was back in March 2020, with UFC Fight Night “Lee vs Oliveira” going down inside Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. That event also happened to be the last card the promotion put on before COVID-19 halted production for the next two months.

But the world’s biggest fight promotion is reportedly going back to Brazil in 2022, as Combate Globo’s Raphael Marinho is reporting that UFC is planning to stage an event in Rio de Janeiro on May 7. The last time UFC was in Rio was in May 2019, the night Jessica Andrade knocked out Rose Namajunas to win the women’s strawweight title.

No fights are targeted just yet and the promotion has yet to confirm the news since it’s in the early stages of planning. UFC has branched out of Las Vegas, Nevada over the last few years after COVID-19 protocols loosened up a bit to hold events in various parts of the United States. Dana White and Co. did lock down “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi to allow its international fighters to stay busy.

If all goes well, Brazil will be the first country the promotion has visited other than the United Arab Emirates in over two years. If the event is a pay-per-view (PPV) card it would be UFC 274. Keep it locked to MMA Mania for further confirmation and bouts as they are announced.