UFC Fourth of July: Is there a UFC fight on Independence Day weekend? (Updated July 2023)
By Anwesha Nag
The Independence Day weekend is almost here and UFC fans are wondering if they will have a packed fight card to enjoy the holidays with their friends and family.
They have no worries. The UFC is back at the APEX in Las Vegas, NV with a Fight Night event ahead of Fourth of July. UFC Vegas 76 will be held on Saturday, July 1.
The card will be headlined by a middleweight bout between No.7-ranked Sean Strickland and UFC rookie Abus Magomedov. The matchup is certainly a surprising one. Brass-necked Strickland comes into the fight with 18 UFC fights to his name, including a close brush with the title shot. For Magomedov, it is only his second fight in the UFC.
The co-main event of the evening is a lightweight clash between Damir Ismagulov and Grant Dawson. Hailing from Russia, Ismagulov suffered his first UFC loss at the hands of Arman Tsarukyan in his last outing. Dawson has not lost a fight since signing with the promotion but drew one with Ricky Glenn two fights ago.
The main card also features Max Griffin vs. Michael Morales (welterweight), Ariane Lipski vs. Melissa Gatto (women's flyweight), Ismael Bonfim vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight), and Brunno Ferreira vs. Nursultan Ruziboev (middleweight).
Is the UFC open or closed on Fourth of July 2023?
There is no UFC event scheduled on July 4.
Independence Day is on a Tuesday, which is not when the promotion usually hosts any fight card. However, the UFC will be in full swing as International Fight Week is set to take place in Las Vegas from Monday, July 3, through Sunday, July 9, headlined by UFC 290, as per the official website.
Alexander Volkanovski will put his featherweight belt on the line against interim champion Yair Rodriguez in the main event. The co-headliner will feature Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja over the flyweight title. Robert Whittaker will go up against Dricus Du Plessis for a third shot at Israel Adesanya.
Henry Cejudo was also supposed to feature on the card against Marlon Vera. He has pulled out from the fight citing a shoulder injury.
The 2023 International Fight Week will feature the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony on July 6 and UFC X, the two-day exclusive fan experience on July 7-8.
Next. UFC rules explained. dark