UFC announces two-event slate for International Fight Week

[Edge Guerrero]

by Shaun Al-Shatti @shaunalshatti Apr 8, 2017

International Fight Week will be a two-day affair this year. The UFC announced Saturday that it will hold back-to-back events on July 7-8, with The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale slated to take place on Friday, and UFC 213 capping off a busy week on Saturday.

Historically, the past few years, the UFC has held three events in three days over Fourth of July weekend. That appeared to be the likely plan for 2017 as well, as the UFC requested a trio of dates, July 6-8, for T-Mobile Arena at last month’s Nevada Athletic Commission. However, that final number was ultimately trimmed by a third, with a UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony instead taking the place of a July 6 event.

The traditional UFC Fan Expo has also been replaced by a “fully interactive two-day UFC Fan Experience” on July 7-8 at Toshiba Plaza and “The Park” outside of T-Mobile Arena, marking the first International Fight Week to be staged under the WME-IMG era.

The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale and UFC 213 will both take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

No fights are currently booked for The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale, a FOX Sports 1 broadcasted event which will assumedly host the finals of TUF 25.

Two heavyweight fights are thus far booked for UFC 213: Fabricio Werdum vs. Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk. A third bout pitting former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler against Donald Cerrone is also in the works.

Source http://www.mmafighting.com/2017/4/8/15230186/ufc-announces-two-event-slate-for-international-fight-week