Black History Month
Las Vegas – UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced the launch of its annual celebration of Black History Month in which UFC will commemorate the achievements made by African American and Black UFC athletes. Throughout the month of February, UFC will highlight the personal stories of African American and Black UFC athletes, past and present, while celebrating their significance in promoting and growing UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts.
Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis, currently ranked no. 7 in the division, will headline the first event of Black History Month when he faces Serghei Spivac in the main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT: LEWIS vs. SPIVAC on Saturday, February 4 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
In addition, numerous top-ranked African American and Black UFC athletes will compete as part of UFC 284: MAKHACHEV vs. VOLKANOVSKI, which takes place on Saturday, February 11, in Perth, Australia, and UFC FIGHT NIGHT: VERA vs. SANDHAGEN, which takes place on Saturday, February 18 at UFC APEX.
UFC’s Black History Month celebration will conclude on Saturday, February 25, as UFC light heavyweight Ryan Spann, currently ranked no. 11 in the division, will headline the card against Nikita Krylov in the main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT: KRYLOV vs. SPANN at UFC APEX.
UFC will also commemorate Black History Month across its digital and social platforms with exclusive content such as an interactive timeline, features, and vignettes published weekly to UFC.com/black-history. UFC will also include special content during its broadcasts via watermark inclusion, athlete features, and vignettes throughout the month.
In addition, UFC will produce special content as part of ESPN’s Black History Month-themed programming, by looking at some of 2022’s most exciting fights to feature African American and Black athletes competing on the roster. UFC Unleashed: Black History Month will debut on Sunday, February 5 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s leading streaming service for combat sports, will also highlight the accomplishments of top African American and Black UFC athletes as part of its “Fighter of the Day” feature.
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 228 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.
