UFC President Dana White Discusses Reason Behind Bringing Big Card To SLC
Jun 28, 2022, 3:52 PM
UFC President Dana White is seen during UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – UFC President Dana White is excited about bringing a big fight card to Salt Lake City in August and discussed why he making the move.
Dana White is bringing UFC 278 to Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on August 20 and showcasing the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
White spoke with KSL Sports anchor Jeremiah Jensen last week about why he is bringing a pay-per-view card to Salt Lake City.
“One of the things I noticed is that everyone keeps questioning big events coming here,” White said. “This place is a destination. This place is a sports town. This place is on fire right now. We are not only coming here with an event, we are coming here with a pay-per-view with the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world against the number one contender that he should be fighting. We’re going to bring a stacked card like we do with every major city.”
White mentioned that when they bring events to cities, it’s a weekend of activities from shopping to great restaurants and hotels.
UFC 278 Main Event
The main event for UFC 278 is Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman against Leon “Rocky” Edwards. Usman holds a 20-1-0 record in his Mixed Martial Arts career. He started his professional MMA career in 2012 with a win in RFA 5. His next bout was in 2013 with a loss to Jose Caceres in CFA 11. Since that fight, Usman has won 19-straight fights, including 15-straight in the UFC and five-straight welterweight title defenses.
August 20 will mark the second time that Usman and Edwards have squared off in the octagon. The two battled on December 19, 2015 on a UFC On FOX card. Usman beat Edwards via unanimous decision.
Edwards has more MMA experience, joining the combat sport in 2011 and starting his career with two wins in Fight UK MMA. He lost his first fight in his third bout before a six-fight win streak. That streak landed him a deal with the UFC. Edwards started his UFC career with a loss in 2014 to Claudio Silva but won his next two fights before facing Usman.
Following the loss to Usman, Edwards went on to win eight-straight bouts. His fight on March 13, 2021, was declared a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke. Edwards’ last fight was on June 12, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona where he headlined UFC 263 and defeated Nate Diaz by unanimous decision.
The full fight card for UFC 278 will be announced in July.
