It appears UFC officials have taken another stab at next month’s bout order for that stacked UFC 225 card.
UFC 225 takes place June 9 at United Center in Chicago, and the main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
As previously announced, the Windy City card features two title fights: middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (19-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) vs. Yoel Romero (13-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), as well Colby Covington (13-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (28-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) for the interim welterweight belt.
Joining them on the main card is the first non-title women’s featherweight bout in UFC history: former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) vs. Megan Anderson (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Initially, the fight was slotted for the preliminary card, but during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 129 broadcast, officials confirmed it’s now been elevated to the main card.
It’s taken the spot once reserved for heavyweight contenders Alistair Overeem (43-16 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Curtis Blaydes (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC). They’re now expected to close out the FS1 prelims, which will serve as a solid lead-in to the PPV lineup.
Rounding out the PPV main card are former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (27-15 MMA, 16-9 UFC) vs. Tai Tuivasa (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and welterweights Phil “CM Punk” Brooks (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. Mike Jackson (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).
However, Blaydes-Overeem isn’t the only bout relegated to the prelims due to the remarkable depth of the card. Ex-champs Carla Esparza and Rashad Evans, as well as former title challengers Joseph Benavidez, Claudia Gadelha and Ricardo Lamas, are also slotted for the preliminary card.
The latest UFC 225 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
- Champ Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero – for middleweight title
- Colby Covington vs. Rafael dos Anjos – for interim welterweight title
- Megan Anderson vs. Holly Holm
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa
- CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Alistair Overeem
- Carla Esparza vs. Claudia Gadelha
- Mirsad Bektic vs. Ricardo Lamas
- Rashad Coulter vs. Chris de la Rocha
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6:15 p.m. ET)
- Rashad Evans vs. Anthony Smith
- Joseph Benavidez vs. Sergio Pettis
- Bobby Green vs. Clay Guida
- Dan Ige vs. Mike Santiago
For more on UFC 225, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.