Establishing oneself as an exciting fighter in a bantamweight division brimming with top-quality talent takes something special. Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera fit the bill. They collide in the main event of UFC Fight Night in San Antonio on Saturday night.
Sandhagen vs. Vera was originally scheduled to headline a Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. There was a generally maligned online response to UFC hosting such a dynamic fight in front of a limited-capacity crowd. Whether or not that played a role, UFC has remedied things and moved Sanghagen vs. Vera to San Antonio's AT&T Center. The ranked contenders have an appetite for violence. Their last six wins combined feature a flying knee, spinning wheel kick, front kick and head kick knockout. The winner will chip away at the crowded bantamweight title picture.
UFC 286 is in the rearview mirror and the promotion looks ahead to its next PPV offering. Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya looks to retrieve his title from ferocious striker Alex Pereira. There are still those who believe Adesanya is the superior overall fighter, yet he is 0-3 against Pereira -- twice in kickboxing and once in mixed martial arts. They meet once more in the main event of UFC 287 on April 8. One month later, Aljamain Sterling defends his UFC bantamweight title at UFC 288 on May 6. His challenger is Henry Cejudo, the former two-division champ returning from a three-year retirement.
Take a look below at the current UFC event schedule for 2023. Be sure to check back in on this page when we have more information on upcoming UFC events throughout the year.
Upcoming UFC Schedule
| Event | Date | Main event | Weight class | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFC Fight Night | March 25 | Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen | Bantamweight | San Antonio | ESPN+ |
| UFC 287 | April 8 | Alex Pereira (c) vs. Israel Adesanya 2 | Middleweight title | Miami | ESPN+ PPV |
| UFC Fight Night | April 15 | Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen | Featherweight | Kansas City | ESPN+ |
| UFC Fight Night | April 22 | Sergei Pavolovich vs. Curtis Blaydes | Heavyweight | Las Vegas | ESPN+ |
| UFC 288 | May 6 | Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Henry Cejudo | Bantamweight title | Newark | ESPN+ PPV |
| UFC 290 | July 8 | TBD | TBD | Las Vegas | ESPN+ PPV |
| UFC 294 | Oct. 22 | TBD | TBD | Abu Dhabi | ESPN+ PPV |
