UFC is heading back to Kentucky for the first time in more than a decade.
On Wednesday, the world’s leading MMA promoter announced it will return to Louisville, Ky., for a Fight Night card on June 8 at the KFC Yum! Center.
This will be the only the third UFC event ever to take place in Kentucky. The first was UFC on Versus 3 in 2011, also at the KFC Yum! Center, headlined by a welterweight fight between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann. The most recent event in the Bluegrass State took place back in 2013 at UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in Fort Campbell, headlined by a middleweight bout between Tim Kennedy and Rafael Natal.
While the card does not currently have a main event, a number of matchups have already been reported, including a bantamweight bout between Raul Rosas Jr. and Ricky Turcios, a welterweight contest between Punahele Soriano and Miguel Baeza, a strawweight fight between Eduarda Moura and Denise Gomes, a middleweight tilt between Julian Marquez and Zach Reese, and a bantamweight fight between Cody Stamann and Taylor Lapilus.
The UFC’s upcoming return to Louisville, Ky. has 13 fights booked already with a main event still to be determined.
The event, which takes place at the KFC Yum Center on June 8, serves as the UFC’s first card in Louisville in 13 years with the last card there headlined by Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann. While rumors have swirled about the headliner for the upcoming UFC Louisville card, nothing is official just yet.
In the meantime, the promotion announced a number of matchups booked for the card including two-time light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes making his long awaited return to action against Dustin Jacoby.
A top contender at 205 pounds for most of his career, Reyes looks to bounce back after dropping his past four fights in a row, including a knockout loss to Ryan Spann in his most recent outing in 2022. Following a long layoff, Reyes returns in June to face the experienced kickboxer Jacoby, who also looks to get back on track after he fell to Alonzo Menifield this past December.
Teen sensation Raul Rosas Jr. also returns on the UFC Louisville card for his rebooked matchup against Ricky Turcios. The bantamweights were originally scheduled to meet back in February but Rosas fell ill just before walking to the octagon so the fight was scrapped.
Now they’ll clash in June instead.
Veteran lightweight Thiago Moises also returns on the card as he faces Ludovit Klein while recent Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona takes on Jesse Butler at 135 pounds.
Here’s the full 13 fight card announced by the UFC on Thursday with a main event still to be determined
Dominick Reyes vs. Dustin Jacoby