UFC 301 will land in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with the pay-per-view card set to take place on May 4 at the Rio Arena.
Rumors have swirled for months that the UFC would return to Brazil in May but now the card is finally official. This will be the first pay-per-view in Brazil since UFC 283 took place in Rio de Janeiro in January 2023.
BRAZIL, WE ARE COMING BACK
— UFC (@ufc) February 17, 2024
Rio, we'll see you for #UFC301
Presale info: https://t.co/KhR1ww7s1q pic.twitter.com/wBqNXNv3oh
On that night, Jamahal Hill defeated Glover Teixeira to claim the vacant UFC light heavyweight title in the main event. That card also took place in the same arena, which was previously known as Jeunesse Arena, which is now called Rio Arena.
As of now, the UFC hasn’t announced any fights for the UFC 301 card, although there have been rumors that perhaps current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira may return home to defend his title. If that happens, Hill could potentially serve as the opponent in his return to action after suffering a torn Achilles’ tendon that forced him to relinquish the title last year.
Alexandre Pantoja, a native of Rio de Janeiro, is another current champion who could potentially head home to Brazil to compete at UFC 301.
Pereira and Pantoja are the only current Brazilian champions on the UFC roster so it’s tough to imagine one or both won’t end up competing at UFC 301 in May.
For now, the event is official with tickets going on sale March 13, which means it probably won’t be long before the UFC begins announcing fights for the card.
