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The UFC Columbus event was recently announced by the UFC and will take place on March 26, 2022. The event will be held at the Nationwide Arena and is set to play host to several intriguing bouts.
Headlining the UFC Columbus event will be a UFC light heavyweight showdown between the division's former champion Jan Blachowicz and the No.3-ranked contender Aleksandar Rakic.
The winner could potentially be next in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title after Jiri Prochazka has his opportunity later in the year.
In a clash of top UFC flyweights, No.2-ranked contender Askar Askarov will take on No.6-ranked 125lber Kai Kara-France in the co-main event of UFC Columbus.
The pair will go head-to-head in a matchup with major title implications. Both Askarov and Kara-France have been impressive in their recent UFC appearances and are likely one triumph away from a shot at gold.
Russia's Askarov is undefeated in MMA, boasting a 14-0 record. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Kara-France, who is coming off an impressive victory over Cody Garbrandt, is on a two-fight winning streak.
UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Rakic: Fights announced for UFC Columbus 2022
Below is a list of the fights expected to take place at UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Rakic in Columbus, Ohio.
Jan Blachowicz vs Aleksandar Rakic (light heavyweight main event)
Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France (flyweight co-main event)
Matt Brown vs. Bryan Barberena (welterweight)
Michelle Waterson vs. Amanda Ribas (women's strawweight)
Nate Landwehr vs. Lerone Murphy (featherweight)
Joanne Wood vs. Alexa Grass (women's flyweight)
Tucker Lutz vs. Seungwoo Choi (featherweight)
Sara McMann vs. Karol Rosa (women's bantamweight)
Danaa Batgerel vs. Montel Jackson (bantamweight)
Matheus Nicolau vs. David Dvorak (flyweight)
Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Abus Magomedov (middleweight)
The UFC Columbus event will be the promotion's first US-held non-pay-per-view event to take place outside of Vegas' Apex facility in nearly two years.
The last card to do so was held on May 13, 2020 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Similarly, this will be the first UFC Fight Night in a fan-filled arena since March 2020.
The last UFC event in Columbus was set to take place back in March 2020. However, it had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Since May 13, 2020, every non-pay-per-view UFC event has taken place either at the UFC's Apex facility or in Abu Dhabi due to travel restrictions and safety protocols.
