UFC this weekend: What time is the fight card? (August 26, 2023)
The UFC is flying half the world across to Singapore this weekend! UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie will take place on August 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Also known as UFC on ESPN+ 83, this will be the UFC’s sixth event in Singapore to date.
The UFC has been doing a phenomenal job with its Fight Night events. Most of these fight cards have been headlined by consequential matchups for divisional title pictures.
The prelims of the August 26 fight card starts at 5am ET/2am PT, while main card is slated to start from 8am ET/5am PT.
Holloway [24-7 MMA] has proven to be the second-best fighter in the featherweight division at present. Despite having lost to the reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski convincingly in their trilogy fight, the fire in Holloway’s belly hasn’t cooled down.
He is on a mission to reclaim his top spot in the 145 lbs division. Fresh off a decisive win over rising contender Arnold Allen in April 2023, Holloway will attempt to fend off The Korean Zombie to get a step closer to another shot at the title.
Meanwhile, his opponent Chan Sung Jung [17-7 MMA] has plateaued a bit in his career in recent times. The South Korean fighter let go of three valuable years of his prime for the mandatory military service back home. However, he is still one of the most skilled strikers in the division. He will return to the octagon for the first time since losing to Alexander Volkanovski via TKO in April 2022.
While both men have lost convincingly to the Australian champion in recent times, a win on August 26 will still bring them closer to a possible title shot.
The August 26 UFC card will feature some exciting matchups on the undercard
While Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie is obviously the most high-profile fight on the card, it will feature some of the most exciting fighters like Anthony Smith, and Giga Chikadze along with a number of local favorites.
In the co-main event, Anthony Smith [36-18 MMA] will put his eighth rank on the line against Ryan Spann [21-8 MMA] in the light heavyweight division. This will be the rematch of their September 2021 fight that Smith won via submission due to a rear naked choke. However, it was a competitive fight for as long as it lasted, and counting out Spann this weekend would be a rookie mistake.
Georgian powerhouse Giga Chikadze will make his octagon return after 18 months away from competition. He is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Calvin Kattar and will attempt to get back in the win column with a win over veteran fighter Alex Caceres. Erin Blanchfield and former title challenger Taila Santos will try to work their way up to the flyweight title shot by defeating each other.
Prelims for the UFC on ESPN+ 83 card will start at 5 PM SGT / 5 AM ET and the main card will start after the prelims conclude. Fans in India can watch the main card live from 5:30 PM IST.