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Mixed martial arts giant UFC returning to Charlotte in May. Here’s what we know

UFC is coming back to Charlotte in May and will likely pack quite a punch, given its television time slot on the ABC network.

The mixed martial arts promotion announced Thursday it will bring UFC Fight Night 224 to the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Saturday, May 13. It’s the seventh UFC promotion to take place in North Carolina, the fifth in Charlotte.

The main event is yet to be officially confirmed, though there is speculation the featured fight could be a five-round light heavyweight showdown between Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker. According to a report from MMA Fighting, the parties have verbal agreements in place to make that matchup happen. Both fighters are ranked in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings at 205 pounds, with Smith at No. 8 and Walker at No. 11.

A UFC spokesperson did confirm Thursday three of the fights that will appear on the card.

UFC veterans Matt Brown and Court McGee will battle in a welterweight bout. Brown, with a knockout win, would tie the record for most knockouts in UFC history with 13. Brown is coming off a Fight of the Night performance in his last outing against Bryan Barberena this past May. McGee will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Jeremiah Wells in June 2022, which stopped his two-fight win streak.

In another welterweight bout, Charlotte’s own Bryan Battle, also known as “Pooh Bear,” will face Gabe Green. Battle had a seven-match win streak snapped in December in a unanimous decision loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC Fight Night 216. He is 8-2 in his career. Gabriel Green is 11-4. His last fight was a unanimous decision loss at UFC 276 to Ian Garry.

A third major welterweight bout, Tim Means vs. Alex Morono is also on the Charlotte fight card. Means has 26 UFC fights to his credit, but is coming off an 0-2 run in 2022. Known as “The Dirty Bird,” Means lost in a second-round submission to Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 37 and then dropped a split-decision against Max Griffin at UFC Fight Night 213 in October. Morono had a four-match win streak snapped in a third-round TKO loss against Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282 in December.

More fights on the main card should be announced soon, UFC officials said. Tickets will go on sale April 7.

UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, was most recently in North Carolina on Jan. 25, 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. That show, UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. dos Santos — also known as UFC Fight Night 166 — took place at PNC Arena in Raleigh.

Previously, UFC had stops in Charlotte in 1994, 1995, 2008, 2010 and 2018. Additionally, UFC held Fight for the Troops — also known as UFC Fight Night 16 on Dec. 10, 2008, at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.