The UFC is returning to Perth and Dana White is expressing his excitement.
UFC 251 is set to take place inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on June 6. Already on tap for the card is a women’s flyweight title bout between champion Valentina Shevchenko and Joanne Calderwood. While not official, many are expecting a rematch between featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway to headline.
Dana White Talks UFC’s Return To Perth
UFC president Dana White wasn’t shy in expressing his enthusiasm over the promotion’s return to Perth. Here’s what he said following the UFC 251 announcement (via The Daily Telegraph).
“We are so pumped to announce our return to Perth,” said UFC President, Dana White. Perth was an amazing host city to us in 2018 and come June 2020, we’ll be back with a stacked card headlined with a championship fight. Australian fans are some of the best in the world, and we look forward to putting on another massive show for them.”
The UFC was in Perth back in Feb. 2018. In the main event, Yoel Romero knocked out Luke Rockhold. Robert Whittaker was supposed to headline UFC 221 but he was forced off the card due to an illness.
If Volkanovski vs. Holloway II is indeed the plan, it’ll mark Volkanovski’s first fight in Australia since that UFC 221 event. Volkanovski defeated Jeremy Kennedy via second-round TKO on that night. This would also be the first time he puts the UFC featherweight title on the line.
As for the bout that has been set, Shevchenko has looked dominant in her run at 125 pounds. She’s coming off a third-round TKO victory over Katlyn Chookagian earlier this month. Calderwood is coming off a split decision victory over Andrea Lee. She’s expected to be a sizable underdog going into her first UFC title bout.
