UFC 268 is to take place in November, later this year. While not yet officially confirmed, the tentative date is rumored to be November 6. The venue for UFC 268 has not yet been officially confirmed, but is strongly rumored to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The event will be headlined by a rematch between welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and No.1-ranked contender Colby Covington. The long-awaited fight will see Usman defend his belt for the fifth time since winning it from Tyron Woodley back in 2019.
No.2-ranked Gilbert Burns is vying for a co-main event fight at UFC 268 against No.3-ranked Leon Edwards.
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In their first fight at UFC 245, Kamaru Usman successfully made his first title defense, securing a TKO victory over Colby Covington. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has been one of the most dominant champions in recent years. Usman has been extremely active, defending his belt against Jorge Masvidal, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington.
The fight at UFC 245 proved to be one of the best bouts of the year. Both welterweights refused to attempt a single takedown on one another and kept the fight standing, trading blows. This came as a surprise to many, as both Usman and Covington come from elite wrestling backgrounds.
On November 6 at UFC 268, 'Chaos' will look to dethrone 'The Nigerian Nightmare' while aiming to make the necessary corrections in his strategy.
UFC 268 and other historic events that took place at Madison Square Garden
If UFC 268 does indeed take place at MSG, it will be another iconic event in UFC history to take place at the famed venue. Some other notable UFC events that took place in the famous New York arena include:
UFC 205: Alvarez vs McGregor
Madison Square Garden hosted one of the most iconic events in UFC history, where Conor McGregor dethroned Eddie Alvarez and won the lightweight championship. The victory over Alvarez saw McGregor become the first simultaneous double champion in the organization's history.
The ceremonial weigh-ins for the event set an attendance record of 15,480 spectators. The event generated $17,700,000 in gate revenue as well as the record for the arena.
UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz
Another record-breaking event at 'The Garden' was the welterweight main event between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. The bout, which had an aura of a title fight, was set for the ceremonial 'BMF' belt.
The event saw Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson carrying the belt, which was made especially for this event, to the area before the fight. The bout ended with a doctor stoppage in Masvidal's favor as 'Gamebred' added the title of BMF to his resume.