The UFC heavyweight title will be on the line when the promotion returns to Boston in August.
At UFC 292, Aljamain Sterling will face 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley in a previously announced bout, It has now been confirmed by UFC President Dana White that it will take place in Boston, Massachusetts.
The event will take place on August 19, 2023. The UFC 292 co-main event will also see the gold medal on the line, as Weili Zhang takes on women’s strawweight champion Amanda Lemos.
The PPV card will see the promotion return to TD Garden in Boston, the location of promotions for six previous trips to the city.
The last time they set up shop there was in 2019, but they haven’t returned during the coronavirus pandemic. White confirmed several weeks ago, however, that Boston was on the horizon for an upgrade.
He faced off against Sterling (23-3) and O’Malley (16-1, 1NC) after the former’s win at UFC 288 earlier this month, which saw him pick up a split win over Henry Cejudo. While Sterling had some reservations about the quick turnaround and fight in Boston (Instead they suggest Las Vegas), the promotion seems to get their wish.
Zhang (23-3) hasn’t fought since regaining her title against Carla Esparza last November. Esparza, a two-time receiving champion, was awarded China’s Zhang a Performance of the Night bonus. While many saw recent strawweight winner Yan Xiaonan, who knocked out Jessica Andrade just weeks earlier, as potentially stealing Amanda Lemos’ place in the title photo, the Brazilian is really up next.
By winning back the gold, meanwhile, Weili Zhang became the third straw in UFC history to become a two-time champion, after “Thug” Rose Namajunas, and Carla Esparza.
Lemos (13-2-1) has won back-to-back fights in 2022, as Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez both finish.
No other fights were officially announced by the promotion for UFC 292 on August 19. However, White announced several fights for the UFC 291 card on July 29, the second PPV of that month – including Dustin Poirier vs. Address “BMF” on the line.