When is UFC Fight Night in Tampa?

Answer 1

UFC Fight Night in Tampa, set to be headlined by Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson, will take place on Oct. 12, 2019 at 7 p.m. CDT. The prelims start at 4 p.m. CDT. The entire event will stream live on ESPN+.

The main event, if it occurs, will be a compelling affair. Jędrzejczyk, the former Women’s Strawweight Champion who holds the title’s record for most successful defenses, is returning to the strawweight division after a failed bid at the Women’s Flyweight Championship; Waterson, known as "The Karate Hottie," is riding a 3-fight winning streak and looking to put herself in title contention. Both stand to enter title contention with a win on Saturday.

The fight is in jeopardy, however. Jędrzejczyk recently informed the UFC that she can’t make the 116-pound strawweight limit, and Waterson’s camp is refusing to meet her at a catchweight. While talks are still ongoing, the UFC is considering cancelling the bout and pushing Cub Swanson vs. Kron Gracie into the main event slot.

Swanson vs. Gracie is quite the interesting matchup. Gracie, whose family developed Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is undefeated in his 5-fight MMA career. In the leadup to the fight, Swanson, a black belt in jiu-jitsu, said jiu-jitsu trainers turned him away because he’s fighting a Gracie. Boasting a 25-11 record, "Killer Cub" looks to end a 4-fight losing skid against the young prodigy; Gracie, meanwhile, can turn even more heads by tapping out the established featherweight star.