A key women’s bantamweight matchup between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira will headline a UFC card in May.
Holm (14-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Vieira (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) have agreed to a five-round bout at UFC Fight Night on May 21, multiple people with knowledge of the situation verified to MMA Junkie following an initial report from MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement. Contracts for the bout have not yet been signed.
The UFC Fight Night card does not currently have an official location, venue, or broadcast plans.
Holm, No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s bantamweight rankings, hasn’t seen action since an October 2020 win over Irene Aldana. The 40-year-old has been booked multiple times since then, but the former UFC champ and boxing champ has suffered injuries and health issues that have prevented her from getting back in the octagon.
No. 9-ranked Vieira, meanwhile, will look to topple her second consecutive former UFC titleholder. The 30-year-old Brazilian is coming off a unanimous decision win over Miesha Tate in the UFC Fight Night 198 main event in November, and she’ll look to build on that against Holm.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on May 21 lineup includes:
- Holly Holm vs. Ketlen Vieira
- Felipe Colares vs. Chase Hooper
- Alexander Gustafsson vs. Ben Rothwell
