A detailed calendar has been released covering major combat sports events for the first three weeks of May. Key UFC events include UFC Perth on May 2 featuring Maddalena vs Prates and Dariush vs Salkilld, UFC 328 on May 9 headlined by Chimaev vs Strickland with co-main Volkov vs Acosta, and UFC Vegas 117 on May 16 with Allen vs Costa. The schedule also includes PFL Sioux Falls on May 2 with Storley vs Zendeli and Rabadanov vs Chizhov, ACA 203 on May 8, and MVP MMA on May 16 featuring Rousey vs Carano and Ngannou vs Lins. Multiple boxing events are also listed, including Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani on May 2 in Tokyo, David Benavidez vs Gilberto Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas, and Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois on May 9 in Manchester. The post serves as a comprehensive viewing guide for combat sports fans.
Combat sports fans have a packed first three weeks of May to look forward to, with a comprehensive schedule of UFC, PFL, boxing, and MMA events spanning May 2 through May 16.
The action opens on May 2 with UFC Perth, where Beneil Dariush steps back into the lightweight division ranked eighth at 37 years old. The American southpaw out of Kings MMA carries a 23-8-1 record and brings a well-rounded game, averaging 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 3.78 significant strikes landed per minute. He faces Salkilld in what figures to be a telling assignment for the veteran contender.
The biggest card of the stretch arrives May 9 with UFC 328, headlined by Khamzat Chimaev against middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Strickland, nicknamed Tarzan, holds a 31-7 record at 35 years old and fights out of Xtreme Couture. The six-foot-one Orthodox striker is one of the most prolific volume fighters in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. His 76-inch reach at 193 cm gives him a long, pressure-heavy frame built for sustained exchanges. Alexander Volkov versus Acosta serves as the co-main event.
UFC Vegas 117 rounds out the UFC portion of the calendar on May 16 with Allen versus Costa topping the bill.
Outside the octagon, PFL Sioux Falls runs concurrently with UFC Perth on May 2, featuring Storley versus Zendeli and Rabadanov versus Chizhov. ACA 203 follows on May 8, and MVP MMA closes the stretch on May 16.
Why it matters
- UFC 328 puts the middleweight title on the line, with Chimaev seeking gold against a champion who output-strikes almost every opponent he faces
- Dariush at UFC Perth is a significant lightweight bout with top-ten rankings implications at 155 pounds
- The concurrent boxing slate, including Naoya Inoue versus Junto Nakatani in Tokyo and David Benavidez versus Gilberto Ramirez in Las Vegas on May 2, plus Fabio Wardley versus Daniel Dubois on May 9, gives fans premium options across multiple promotions on the same weekends
