UFC’s Israel Adesanya to headline July event at The Palms

A UFC octagon prior to UFC Fight Night 90 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Thursday, July 7, 2016, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal

More Stories

Conor McGregor takes the octagon for a lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier during the UFC 2 ...

UFC superstar won’t fight in main event of Las Vegas card

Nyjah Huston of the United States celebrates on the podium after winning the men finals at the ...

Hill: Olympic skateboarder adds to growing legacy of UFC Apex

Max Holloway celebrates after knocking out Justin Gaethje during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts l ...

Wild last-second KO at UFC 300 results in ‘huge win’ for bettors

UFC superstar Conor McGregor sets return bout in Las Vegas

By Adam Hill / Las Vegas Review-Journal

April 30, 2018 - 11:06 am

Breakout middleweight star Israel Adesanya will get his first UFC headlining spot in Las Vegas.

The kickboxing sensation will face Brad Tavares in a five-round main event on “The Ultimate Fighter” finale card at the Palms on July 6, sources close to the organization confirmed to the Review-Journal.

Adesanya is 13-0 as a pro and has won both fights since joining the UFC in February. He is coming off a split-decision win over Marvin Vettori in Glendale, Arizona, in April.

Tavares, a longtime Las Vegan, won his fourth consecutive fight with a knockout of Krzysztof Jotko on the same card.

The event also will include the Season 27 title bout, with the contestants to b determined throughout the episodes currently airing Wednesday nights on Fox Sports 1.

More MMA: Follow all of our MMA and UFC coverage online at CoveringTheCage.com and @CoveringTheCage on Twitter.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.

UFC superstar won’t fight in main event of Las Vegas card

By Adam Hill / RJ

June 13, 2024 - 9:34 pm

One of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts is no longer fighting in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena.

Hill: Olympic skateboarder adds to growing legacy of UFC Apex

By Adam Hill / RJ

May 25, 2024 - 10:21 pm

A venue constructed as a production facility allowed the UFC to thrive during the pandemic and has now become part of the Las Vegas sports landscape.

Wild last-second KO at UFC 300 results in ‘huge win’ for bettors

By Todd Dewey / RJ

April 14, 2024 - 11:46 am

Max Holloway’s brutal knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 dealt an historic loss to an offshore sportsbook and delivered a big win to Caesars Sportsbook bettors.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor sets return bout in Las Vegas

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 14, 2024 - 12:21 am

Former two-division champion Conor McGregor will make a return to competition in June at T-Mobile Arena, nearly three years after his last UFC bout.

Max Holloway punches Justin Gaethje for a knockout during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts lightwei ...

Buzzer-beating KO wows crowd at historic UFC 300 card — PHOTOS

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 14, 2024 - 12:02 am

Max Holloway landed one of the wildest knockout punches the UFC has seen in one of the biggest cards in the organization’s history Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Mark Coleman runs into the octagon prior to taking on hi ...

Hill: Ex-UFC fighter ‘blessed’ after nearly dying while saving parents

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 13, 2024 - 7:29 pm

UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman was thrilled to be in attendance for UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. He’s just happy to be alive after surviving a fire last month.

Max Holloway poses during an UFC 276 weigh-in event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, Jul ...

‘BMF’ title bout stands out on stacked UFC 300 card

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 12, 2024 - 7:01 pm

Even on a card that features two title bouts and 12 current or former champions, the buzz for UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena is mostly centered on a mythical belt.

Bo Nickal, top, submits Jamie Pickett submits in a lightweight bout during UFC 285 at T-Mobile ...

Rising star not ‘second coming of Jesus Christ,’ UFC 300 foe says

By Adam Hill / RJ

April 11, 2024 - 5:12 pm

The hype around UFC middleweight Bo Nickal is growing after several flawless performances, but his opponent at UFC 300 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena isn’t fully buying in.

UFC president Dana White answers a question at a news conference following the UFC 285 fight ca ...

‘Bite of the Night’: UFC fighter bitten during event gets mark tattooed

By Taylor Lane / RJ

March 25, 2024 - 7:29 pm

After fighter Andre “Mascote” Lima was bitten Saturday night during a fight, he was given a special bonus by UFC president Dana White.

UFC will pay $335M to settle antitrust lawsuits

By Mick Akers / RJ

March 20, 2024 - 5:03 pm

UFC’s parent company agreed to a $335 million settlement tied to two antitrust lawsuits filed by former fighters against the Las Vegas-based MMA organization.