UFC 288 Set For Return To Newark This Coming May

The UFC will return to Newark for UFC 288 later this year.

While no main event for the bout has been announced, officials have confirmed the date for May 6. It will take place inside the Prudential Center, which has hosted eight events before.

The likes of Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Urijah Faber have all competed from the arena, which last hosted Colby Covington vs. Robbie Lawler in 2019.

“I am excited to bring another massive Pay-Per-View back to Newark,” UFC President Dana White said. “New Jersey has always been amazing to the UFC. We’ve had so many great events there and I can’t wait to bring a stacked card to the city for UFC 288.”

A number of fights have been announced including former champion Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush and Bryce Mitchell vs. Jonathan Pearce.

“Our state is proud to host this exciting event and provide a premium experience for the thousands of UFC fans attending,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “New Jersey’s world-class sports and entertainment venues, exceptional restaurants and hotels, and unparalleled airports and location have made our state the premier destination for some of the world’s most high-profile events. Hosting this major UFC card, coupled with the additional community-based and tourism opportunities leading up to the main event, will bring significant economic activity and impact to the region.”

Current official bouts on the card include

* Former UFC lightweight champion and current No. 1 ranked contender Charles Oliveira (33-9 1NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) battles No. 4 Beneil Dariush (22-4-1, fighting out of Yorba Linda, Calif.) with title implications on the line

* An exciting bout between featherweight grapplers sees No. 11 ranked contender Bryce Mitchell (15-2, fighting out of Sherwood, Arkansas) take on Jonathan Pearce (14-4, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.)

* Kron Gracie (5-1, fighting out of Culver City, Calif.) makes his highly anticipated return to the Octagon against Charles Jourdain (13-6-1, fighting out of Beloeil, Quebec, Canada) at featherweight

* No. 4 ranked strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez (16-2, fighting out of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil) aims to defend her spot in the rankings against No. 10 Virna Jandiroba (18-3, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil)

* Light heavyweights Kennedy Nzechukwu (11-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) and Devin Clark (14-7, fighting out of Sioux Falls, S.D.) lock horns

* Andre Petroski (9-2, fighting out of Springfield, Penn.) looks to remain undefeated in the UFC against Armen Petrosyan (8-2, fighting out of Krasnoyarsk, Russia) at middleweight

* Nate Maness (14-3, fighting out of Henderson, Ky.) faces Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8, fighting out of Aktobe, Kazakhstan) in a flyweight tilt

* Khaos Williams (13-3, fighting out of Jackson, Mich.) intends to spoil the UFC debut of Rolando Bedoya (14-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) at welterweight

* Bantamweights Daniel Santos (10-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Johnny Munoz (12-2, fighting out of Norco, Calif.) collide in a thrilling bout