UFC To Host First Pay-Per-View Card In Asia With Two Title Bouts

The city-state of Singapore in Southeast Asia will again host a UFC card in the near future, but this time, it will have massive implications on the future of the North American-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

Headlined by the dual-title defenses of light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira and women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, UFC 275 will be the first-ever card in the history of the organization to have belts on the line in the region.

In a press release sent to the International Business Times, the UFC’s upper management shared its excitement to hold such an event in “The Lion City.”

“I can’t wait for our first pay-per-view event in Singapore. The fights have been incredible this year and we’re going to deliver an absolutely stacked card for the amazing fans in Southeast Asia,” remarked the ever-enthusiastic UFC president Dana White.

“Singapore will be the very first city in Southeast Asia to host a PPV event and UFC 275 is going to be huge! Asia’s biggest stars will be featured on a top-caliber card, and the jam-packed fight week will be one to remember,” added Kevin Chang, the UFC’s senior vice president of Asia Pacific.

“We are thankful for STB’s (Singapore Tourism Board) support for this historic event in Singapore that will proudly showcase this vibrant and dynamic city.”

Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgystan celebrates after beating Jessica Andrade of Brazil during the Women’s Flyweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. Photo: Alex Menendez/Getty Images

Singapore has hosted multiple UFC cards in the past namely UFC Fight Night: Saffedine vs. Lim in 2014, UFC Fight Night Singapore: Holm vs. Correia three years later, UFC Fight Night Singapore: Cerrone vs. Edwards in 2018, and the last being in 2019 with UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren.

Teixeira (33-7) will have his first title defense since taking the belt away from then-champion Jan Blachowicz in October 2021, facing the Czech Republic’s Jiri Prochazka who is coming off back-to-back KO victories of No.7-ranked Volkan Ozdemir and No. 3-seeded Dominick Reyes.

As for Schevchenko (22-3), the longtime UFC women’s flyweight champion, she has dominated her previous seven challengers and will look to extend that run to eight by defeating the No. 5-ranked Taila Santos, who is carrying a four-fight winning streak of her own.

The undercard is arguably just as stacked as the main card with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker facing Marvin Vettori, Brendan Allen squaring off with Jacob Malkoun, and South Korea’s Kyung Ho Kang welcoming Saimon Oliveira to the promotion.

UFC 275 will be happening Sunday, June 12 at the famed Singapore Indoor Stadium.