UFC January 2024: What is the UFC 2024 schedule in the first month of the new year?
The UFC 2024 schedule has two events, including one pay-per-view, scheduled for the first month.
Following UFC 296 on December 16, there has been a rare month-long break in the UFC’s schedule before things pick up in mid-January 2024. As the new calendar year quickly approaches, the MMA community has begun looking forward to the first events back.
On January 13, Dana White and company will return to the APEX for the first UFC 2024 event. In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev looks to prove his October 2023 performance against Johnny Walker, a TKO win turned into a no-contest, wasn’t a fluke.
There will be added stakes for the UFC Vegas 84 main event, as Ankalaev (ranked #3) and Walker (ranked #7) have an opportunity to take a significant step toward earning a title shot.
As for the co-main event, Matheus Nicolau and Manel Kape plan to make a statement in the flyweight division. The number five-ranked Nicolau is coming off a loss against Brandon Royvall and hopes to get back on track, while number six-ranked Kape is riding a four-fight win streak.
This won’t be the first time that Nicolau and Kape have fought. In March 2021, the Brazilian-born fighter defeated ‘Starboy’ by split decision.
The UFC Vegas 84 main card also features Phil Hawes vs. Bruno Ferreira (middleweight), Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista (bantamweight), Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson (women’s bantamweight), and Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez.
Who is fighting on the first month of the UFC 2024 schedule?
The second and final event for the first month of the UFC 2024 schedule is on January 20, a pay-per-view going down in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
UFC 297 will feature two world title fights, including a main event showdown between middleweight champion Sean Strickland and the streaking contender Dricus Du Plessis.
As for the co-main event, the vacant women’s bantamweight title will be on the line following Amanda Nunes’ retirement.
Due to Julianna Pena being injured, the new 135-pound queen will be Raquel Pennington, who is riding a five-fight win streak, or Mayra Bueno Silva, who recently submitted Holly Holm before the result was overturned to a no-contest because of a positive drug test.
The UFC 297 pay-per-view main card will start with Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg (light heavyweight), Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott (welterweight), and Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev (featherweight).