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Sam Bruce, Deputy Editor, espn.com.au
The UFC will return to Australia early in 2025, with UFC 312 officially set for Sydney on Feb. 9.
Local UFC officials made the announcement on Thursday morning [AEDT] in Sydney, locking in what is the second of a three-event deal with the NSW Government.
The promotion was last in the Harbour City in September 2023 when Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at Qudos Bank Arena to claim the middleweight title.
UFC 312 will also be fought at Qudos Bank Arena.
“Sydney, Australia – the Octagon is coming back this summer,” Peter Kloczko, UFC vice president Australia New Zealand, said.
“Get ready for another cracking event at Qudos Bank Arena, featuring the best local and international UFC athletes. We value the support from our event partners Destination NSW and hope to deliver another record-breaking result, building off the success of UFC 293 in September 2023.”
While no official fight announcements have yet been made, the coach of current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis said the South African’s next title defence was likely to be in Sydney.
“I had a conversation with Dricus [recently] and I said to him there’s only one thing for certain at this stage, only one thing, and that’s we’ve got to be ready to fight in Sydney in Feb,” Morne Visser told Submission Radio.
While UFC President Dana White has indicated Sean Strickland was next in line for a title shot, Robert Whittaker could make a near irresistible case for a second crack at Du Plessis if he is able to beat Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 next weekend.
That would give the UFC a mouthwatering matchup at middleweight, given Whittaker resides just a 45-minute drive from Qudos Bank Arena.
Former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who was on hand for the announcement on Thursday, is also desperate to fight in his home state, having not done so since 2017.
“I definitely want to be here, the UFC wants me to be here and I’m sure the fans want me to be here as well,” Volkanovski told ESPN on Thursday. “So we’re just going to do what we can to make it happen, and I think it’s pretty likely as well.”
Volkanovski conceded he had no control over next weekend’s featherweight title showdown between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, but said he had a “guarantee” that he was next in line for the title shot.
“I am next, depending on injuries, if someone goes up a division, or even if it’s the interim [title], I still think it’s likely. So things can get in the way, but even if things get in the way I still think it means me competing here in Sydney anyway.
“As long as I’m fighting for the gold here in Sydney I’ll be happy.”