UFC 225 Fight Card and Start Time

The octagon will return to Chicago on June 9 for the promotion UFC 225 fight card.

The pay-per-view event will be headlined by a middleweight title fight rematch featuring current title holder Robert Whittaker taking on top division contender Yoel Romero.

BJPENN.com’s Chris Taylor broke the news on Twitter back in March:

Breaking! Per sources Yoel Romero vs Robert Whittaker 2 is a done deal for #UFC225. The title fight rematch is expected to serve as the main event in Chicago!

— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) March 9, 2018

Robert Whittaker was last seen in action at July’s UFC 213 event in Las Vegas where he scored a unanimous decision victory over Yoel Romero capturing the promotions interim middleweight title in the process.

Whittaker was later promoted to undisputed UFC middleweight champion, this after Georges St-Pierre opted to vacate his middleweight title after defeating Michael Bisping in New York.

Since moving up to the UFC’s middleweight division in November of 2014, Robert Whittaker has gone a perfect 7-0 which includes knockout victories over Clint Hester, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Meanwhile, Yoel Romero was last seen in action at February’s UFC 221 event in Perth, Australia where he scored a nasty second-round knockout victory over former division champion Luke Rockhold.

“The Soldier of God” has gone an impressive 9-1 over his past ten fights which includes nasty knockout victories over Clifford Starks, Ronny Markes, Derek Brunson, Tim Kennedy, Lyoto Machida, Chris Weidman and most recently the aforementioned Luke Rockhold.

In the co-main event of the evening former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will take on surging contender Colby Covington for the promotions interim welterweight title.

If that was not enough to peak your interest, UFC 225 also features the return of CM Punk who will attempt to earn his first career victory at home when he takes on Mike Jackson.

Also featured on the card is a key women’s fight between former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and former Invicta FC champion Megan Anderson.

The featured preliminary bout of UFC 225 will showcase a clash of heavyweights as former title challenger Alistair Overeem meets streaking contender Curtis Blaydes.

Get the full UFC 225 lineup below:

Main Card (at 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View)

Robert Whittaker (19-4) vs. Yoel Romero (13-2) – For the UFC middleweight championship
Rafael dos Anjos (28-9) vs. Colby Covington (13-1) – For the UFC interim welterweight title
Holly Holm (11-4) vs. Megan Anderson (8-2)
Andrei Arlovski (27-15, 1NC) vs. Tai Tuivasa (7-0)
CM Punk (0-1) vs. Mike Jackson (0-1)

Prelims (at 8 p.m. ET on FS1)

Alistair Overeem (43-16, 1NC) vs. Curtis Blaydes (9-1, 1NC)
Cláudia Gadelha (15-3) vs. Carla Esparza (13-4)
Ricardo Lamas (18-6) vs. Mirsad Bektic (12-1)
Rashad Coulter (8-3) vs. Chris de la Rocha (4-2)

Early Prelims (at 6:15 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass)

Rashad Evans (19-7-1) vs. Anthony Smith (28-13)
Joseph Benavidez (25-4) vs. Sergio Pettis (16-3)
Clay Guida (34-17) vs. Charles Oliveira (22-8, 1NC)
Mike Santiago (20-11) vs. Dan Ige (8-2)