Yes, this is one of the longest layoffs between UFC cards in recent memory.
And for those that love sitting down each and every Saturday night and taking in the action, it probably feels like an eternity.
But with Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather set for next weekend, the UFC is planning a strong push once the calendar turns to September.
So to keep you on the edge of your seat, let’s take a look at what is in store coming up next month:
UFC Fight Night 115: Volkov vs. Struve
It seems like the international events are hit-or-miss in regards to crazy, knock-down-drag-out fights or tough-to-watch decisions.
I’d expect this one to lean more on the entertaining side.
In the main event, former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov takes on Stefan Struve, who will be fighting in his home country. This is a key fight in the career of Struve, who has been on the cusp of title contention before.
Germaine de Randamie, the former UFC female featherweight champion, returns to bantamweight and meets Marion Reneau. After refusing to defend her title vs. Cris Cyborg, this is a pivotal fight for de Randamie.
Leon Edwards-Bryan Barberena could steal “Fight of the Night” honors, while Desmond Green-Rustam Khabilov has all the makings of a fun lightweight battle.
UFC 215: Johnson vs. Borg
Talk about interesting placement of fights.
Officials put both Demetrious Johnson and Amanda Nunes on the same event, and shipped them off to Edmonton to battle opening weekend of the college football season.
“Mighty Mouse” is chasing history, as a win over Ray Borg will mark his record-breaking 11th consecutive flyweight title defense. He is currently tied with Anderson Silva’s middleweight mark for the UFC record.
Nunes, meanwhile, defends her bantamweight belt against Valentina Shevchenko. We all remember what happened this past July when Nunes bowed out of the main event just hours before due to an illness.
UFC president Dana White has been very critical of both Johnson and Nunes, though Johnson said recently they have talked it out. Still, you don’t want to upset the boss.
The card also features a key heavyweight battle when Junior dos Santos takes on Francis Ngannou. Gilbert Melendez-Jeremy Stephens could be a show-stealer on that same night.
UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch
The third of four UFC events in September will see the Octagon set up shop in Pittsburgh with Luke Rockhold taking on David Branch.
Rockhold, a former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, will have been on the sidelines for over a year when he finally returns. In 2016, he dropped the belt to Michael Bisping in his first defense after finishing Chris Weidman.
Branch, meanwhile, previously held the World Series of Fighting title and hasn’t lost since a 2012 decision defeat to Anthony Johnson. That includes a split decision this past May. Of note, he has fought three times since Rockhold last appeared in action.
Other notable fights scheduled for the night include Mike Perry-Thiago Alves, Hector Lombard-Anthony Smith and Uriah Hall-Krzysztof Jotko.
UFC Fight Night 117: Shogun vs. Saint Preux 2
We finally conclude the month with a trip to Japan, as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua seeks revenge vs. Ovince Saint Preux.
Back in 2014, Saint Preux knocked out the former UFC light heavyweight champion in 34 seconds. OSP, though, has gone just 3-4 since, with one of those being a 25-minute decision loss to Jon Jones.
Rua has strung together three consecutive wins since that night in Brazil, defeating Gian Villante, Corey Anderson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
While yet to be completed, the card does currently include Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Andrade and the promotion debut of Gokhan Saki vs. Henrique da Silva.
