A big fight in the UFC light heavyweight division is headed to London.
Former champion Jan Blachowicz returns from a near-two-year layoff as he battles Carlos Ulberg at UFC Fight Night 255. Promotion officials announced the bout Tuesday. The event takes place March 22 at O2 Arena.
Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) has not competed since a loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 291 in July 2023. The bout was Pereira’s first at 205 in the UFC, and was a closely contested split decision win for “Poatan.” Blachowicz was supposed to compete at UFC 297 in January vs. Aleksandar Rakic, but withdrew due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Ulberg (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) competed less than three weeks ago at UFC Fight Night 248. He defeated Volkan Oezdemir by unanimous decision, which extended his winning streak to seven. Ulberg has not lost since his UFC debut, which was a TKO defeat to Kennedy Nzechukwu.
In addition to the light heavyweight contender fight, promotion officials also announced Tuesday a heavyweight bout between ranked fighters Mick Parkin (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Marcin Tybura (26-9 MMA, 13-8 UFC).
Your first bouts for #UFCLondon are signed!
🇵🇱 Jan Blachowicz vs Carlos Ulberg 🇳🇿
🇵🇱 Marcin Tybura vs Mick Parkin 🇬🇧🎟️ Get early access to tickets: https://t.co/slZM2gosSA pic.twitter.com/aYyqHyYs2e
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) December 10, 2024
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 255 lineup includes:
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg
- Mick Parkin vs. Marcin Tybura
- Shauna Bannon vs. Puja Tomar
- Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Andrey Pulayev
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.