It’s a blockbuster UFC event this weekend with the middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defending his title in a rematch against Yoel Romero, while fellow Australian fighters Megan Anderson and Tai Tuivasa also scheduled on the main card.
The event, UFC 225, will take place at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night and will be broadcast to Australia live on Sunday. The preliminary card will be shown on UFC Fight Pass and Fox Sports Australia while Mainevent pay-per-view (PPV) will host the main card.
The PPV will being at 12pm AEST and is priced at $54.95.
The card will go head-to-head with the Horn vs Crawford fight being held at the same time. It’s the first time that a boxing pay-per-view will air simultaneously as a UFC pay-per-view on Australian shores.
It will be the first time that Whittaker (19-4) has fought since claiming the UFC interim middleweight title with a decision win over Yoel Romero last July. After Georges St-Pierre vacated the title, Whittaker was promoted to the full champion though injuries had delayed his return.
Yoel Romero (13-2) earned another shot at Whittaker when he knocked out Luke Rockhold on the UFC 221 event in Perth. Whittaker was originally set to headline the card against Rockhold. Romero replaced him and the 40-year-old now sets his sights at Whittaker.
An Australian bookmaker has Whittaker the favourite, paying 1.50 compared to 2.60 for Romero.
Megan Anderson makes her long awaited debut in the UFC and in women’s featherweight bout will meet former bantamweight title holder Holly Holm while undefeated heavyweight Tai Tuivasa clashes with former heavyweight kingpin Andrei Arlovski.
Mainevent PPV (12pm AEST)
- Robert Whittaker (c) vs. Yoel Romero – UFC middleweight title
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington
- Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa
- CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson
Fox Sports Australia (10am AEST):
- Alistair Overeem vs. Curtis Blaydes
- Claudia Gadelha vs. Carla Esparza
- Ricardo Lamas vs. Mirsad Bektic
- Rashad Coulter vs. Chris de la Rocha
UFC Fight Pass (8:15am AEST):
- Rashad Evans vs. Anthony Smith
- Joseph Benavidez vs. Sergio Pettis
- Clay Guida vs. Charles Oliveira
- Mike Santiago vs. Dan Ige
