To quote “The Veteran Voice of the Octagon” Bruce Buffer: IT’S TIME!
The 2016 version of UFC International Fight Week has arrived. Perhaps the biggest fight card in the history of the company, UFC 200 headlines an action-packed week which features three fight cards in three nights, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, panel discussions with the biggest stars in the sport during UFC Fan Expo and so much more.
Whether you are here in Las Vegas for the festivities or following from elsewhere around the world, you won’t want to miss a second of the action, and we are here to help. Here is a breakdown of each day of action this week, telling you when and where to attend, where to watch, what to look for and more.
Home to all the tickets you'll need for UFC 200 and International Fight Week
Tuesday, July 5
• IMMAF World Championships Day 1 – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Alvarez and The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Jedrzejczyk vs Gadelha 2 Open Workouts – 12:30 pm PT – MGM Grand Casino Floor
Things kick off with a bang – literally – as the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s World Championships return to be a part of UFC International Fight Week. A total of nine weight classes for men and five for women will use a tournament-style format to crown its champions, with action beginning on Tuesday. Entry is free for the first three days of competition. The UFC.com team will introduce you to the tournament as well as a few of its participants later this week, UFC FIGHT PASS will have post-event highlights and IMMAF’s website will have the latest news and results.
Fans can get a first glimpse at the biggest UFC stars when some of the famous names appearing in Thursday and Friday’s fight cards head to MGM Grand for open workouts. Fighters such as Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Claudia Gadelha, Rafael Dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez and Will Brooks will begin hitting the mats at 1 pm PT, so fans are advised to arrive early for the action. The UFC.com team will have full coverage from on-site with written and video content throughout the day.
RELATED: FULL INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK SCHEDULE
Wednesday, July 6
• IMMAF World Championships Day 2 – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• UFC 200 Press Conference – Noon PT – MGM Grand KA Theatre
• UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Alvarez Weigh-In – 4 pm PT – T-Mobile Arena
• UFC Lip Sync Challenge – 6 pm PT – Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo Las Vegas
• UFC International Fight Week Kickoff Party: Pandora Presents Lil Wayne powered by MetroPCS – 9 pm PT – TAO Nightclub Las Vegas
Mic skills and staredown skills will be put to the test on Wednesday. Words will certainly fly – and who knows what else – when all of the UFC 200 main card participants, including bitter rivals and headliners Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, hit the Ka Theater stage beginning at Noon PT. UFC.com will stream the press conference live from Las Vegas for those that can’t join us at the MGM Grand, including the entire press conference as well as highlights available on demand after it concludes.
At 4 pm PT, all of the fighters for the week’s first UFC card will hit the scales and the results of the weigh-ins will be revealed. What happens when challenger Eddie Alvarez and Champion Rafael Dos Anjos face off one last time? Head over to T-Mobile Arena or log on to UFC.com on your desktop, mobile device or tablet to find out.
JULY 6th .., "IT'S ON!" & Someone's Going Down! #ITSTIMETOWIN #ufc #UFC200 #ITSTIME pic.twitter.com/qi2746UFh3
— Bruce Buffer (@brucebuffer) July 1, 2016
Then how about a little fun? Fans in Vegas will definitely want to hit up The Palazzo for the UFC Lip Sync Challenge featuring UFC Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, Uriah Hall, Rashad Evans and Bruce Buffer. If the Twitter smack talk is any indication, this is a must-see event. Shortly after that, party in (UFC) style with Pandora, Lil Wayne and MetroPCS at TAO Nightclub. Tickets for this event are free but limited, so make sure to download the International Fight Week app and RSVP ASAP
Thursday, July 7
• UFC 200 Open Workouts – 9 am PT – T-Mobile Arena
• IMMAF World Championships Day 3 – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• Ultimate Alliance Wrestling and Boxing Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• Official UFC Pool Party – 11 am PT – Rehab at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• UFC 202 Press Conference – 11:30 am PT – T-Mobile Arena
• The Ultimate Fighter: Jedrzejczyk vs Gadelha 2 Weigh-ins – 1 pm PT – T-Mobile Arena
• UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Alvarez – 3:30 pm PT – MGM Grand Garden Arena (Reasons to watch, Buy tickets, Sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS)
• UFC Topgolf Challenge – 9:30 pm PT – Topgolf Las Vegas
Make sure you have plenty of Monster on hand, from morning to night the schedule is packed beginning Thursday. Things kick off early with UFC 200 open workouts at T-Mobile Arena and all eyes will be on Brock Lesnar as he goes through the paces before his return to the Octagon on Saturday night. For those who can’t make it to the arena, UFC.com will have highlights and interviews from on-site.
Over at the convention center there are a plethora of tournaments, but those who want to enjoy the early morning can head over to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for the Official UFC Pool Party at Rehab.
As if the action this week wasn’t enough, everybody will get a preview of what’s to come in August as Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz go face-to-face for the first time since UFC 196 at 11:30 am PT at T-Mobile Arena. UFC.com will stream the press conference live for those that aren’t in Vegas (or enjoying the pool party) and we’ll have analysis and reaction throughout the day from what is sure to be an epic war of words between the fan favorites.
Immediately after the press conference, we’ll find out the results of the weigh-ins for The Ultimate Fighter: Jedrzejczyk vs Gadelha 2 at T-Mobile Arena and UFC.com via desktop, mobile and tablet.
All eyes shift towards the Octagon at 3:30 pm PT when the first of three nights of fights begin with UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Alvarez. Who will be the lightweight champion after Thursday nights? There’s also plenty of firepower on this card, and who will take home performance bonuses? Head over to MGM Grand Garden Arena to find out. For those not in Vegas, you can see this card exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS and at over 1,000 bars throughout the U.S., with live results and coverage available on UFC.com throughout the night.
Don’t miss any of the action during 2016 UFC International Fight Week! Join UFC FIGHT PASS now
After the fights, the fun doesn’t stop for those in town. Head over to the new Topgolf location for the UFC Topgolf Challenge.
Friday, July 8 2016
• IMMAF World Championships Day 4 – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• IBJJF Tournaments – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• UFC Fan Expo Day 1 – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center (Buy tickets)
• WAKO Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• USJJO Tournaments – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• Ultimate Alliance Wrestling and Boxing Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• Golden Gloves Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• UFC 200 Weigh-ins – 3 pm PT – T-Mobile Arena
• The Ultimate Fighter: Jedrzejczyk vs Gadelha 2 – 4 pm PT – MGM Grand Garden Arena (Reasons to watch, Buy tickets)
• The Finale after party – 10:30 pm PT – Ling Ling Lounge at Hakkasan Night Club
Just when you thought the week couldn’t get any better – UFC International Fight Week kicks it up a notch.
Friday is the beginning of the UFC Fan Expo. What is the Fan Expo? It’s a three-day event that offers fans unparalleled access to UFC champions, top-ranked contenders, UFC Hall of Famers, celebrities, legendary fighters, the Octagon Girls, interactive exhibits and numerous martial arts tournaments from various disciplines. From exclusive interview panels to fighter signings, this is the one-stop shop for UFC fans. FIGHT PASS will stream all the interview panels live, so those at home won’t miss out.
As an added bonus, the various combat sports tournaments that have been taking place throughout the week can be found alongside the expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, so you’ll have plenty to do.
The attention shifts south on the Las Vegas Strip at 3 pm PT as the stars of UFC 200 face off one last time before fight night as the weigh-in results are revealed at the T-Mobile Arena.
Then shortly after that, the second night of fights kicks off as The Ultimate Fighter: Jedrzejczyk vs Gadelha 2 begins at 4 pm PT. Those fans not in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena can watch the fights first on UFC FIGHT PASS, then on FS1 beginning at 5 pm PT (8 pm ET). UFC.com has you covered with full results, news, interviews, photos and more live from on site.
For your Friday nightcap in Vegas, head over to Ling Ling Lounge at Hakkasan Night Club in the MGM Grand for the best after-party in town.
Saturday, July 9 2016
• UFC Ulti-Man 5k – 7 am PT – Town Square Las Vegas
• USJJO Tournaments – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• IBJJF Tournaments – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• Ultimate Alliance Wrestling and Boxing Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• WAKO Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• UFC Fan Expo Day 2 – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center (Buy tickets)
• Golden Gloves Tournament – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• UFC 200: Cormier vs Jones 2 – 3:30 pm PT – T-Mobile Arena (Buy tickets, Order the UFC 200 digital PPV now)
• Official UFC 200 after party – 10:30 pm PT – Ling Ling Lounge at Hakkasan Night Club
Don’t party too hard Friday night, it’s an early start on Saturday. The UFC Ulti-Man 5K presented by Town Square Las Vegas is one of the most popular activities of International Fight Week. The 5K will include two UFC athlete team captains, and the entire event will be emceed by Hall-of-Famer Forrest Griffin. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Friends of Las Vegas K9.
After the run, it’s another great day of activities at the UFC Fan Expo that can be streamed on UFC FIGHT PASS. Among the tournaments also at the Las Vegas Convention Center is the IBJJF Super Fight tournament - click here for more details.
Then it’s time – UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena. Limited seats remain, so make sure to snap them up and be a part of history. Not in Las Vegas? Pre-order the Pay-Per-View now.
Following the epic night of fights, Vegas visitors are invited to head over to the Ling Ling Lounge at Hakkasan Night Club in the MGM Grand for the official after party.
Sunday, July 10 2016
• UFC Fan Expo Day 3 – 10 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center (Buy tickets)
• IBJJF Tournaments – 9 am PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
• IMMAF World Championships Final Day – 10 am – Noon, 2 – 4:30 pm PT – Las Vegas Convention Center
The week of activity ends on a high note with the final day of the UFC Fan Expo, which includes the UFC 2016 Hall of Fame induction ceremony and a live taping of the UFC Unfiltered podcast with Matt Serra and Jim Norton.
This year’s Hall class includes UFC co-founder Bob Meyrowitz, the Pete Williams vs Mark Coleman fight, and Octagon legends Don Frye and Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. It will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS at noon PT and UFC.com will have extended coverage of the festivities.
Jorge A. Mondaca is managing editor of UFC.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JorgeAMondaca
