Year-end UFC 182 event takes place Jan. 3, not Dec. 27, on pay-per-view
The UFC’s traditional year-end pay-per-view event in Las Vegas will actually take place in the new year.
While UFC officials traditionally book the year-end blockbusters on the Saturday after Christmas, this year’s show, UFC 182, instead will take place Jan. 3, 2015, the UFC confirmed with MMAjunkie.
The move was necessitated by the calendar. Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, and rather than hosting an event just two days later, UFC 182 will take place the following Saturday, after the new year.
Other year-end shows have also technically taken place in the new year due to the calendar. UFC 125, for example, took place on Jan. 1, 2011, rather than on Christmas Day in 2010.
UFC 182 is expected to take place at MGM Grand Garden Arena, which has hosted every UFC year-end show since 2008.
The event is expected to feature a lightweight title fight between champion Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and challenger Gilbert Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC). Their title fight follows their coaching stints on “The Ultimate Fighter 20,†which debuts this fall on FOX Sports 1.
Additionally, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who co-headlined the year-end show in 2013, told MMAjunkie she’s hoping for a spot on this year’s show too.
The heavily promoted rematch between UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and former titleholder Anderson Silva headlined the most recent year-end show, UFC 168.
