Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will feature in the UFC's long-awaited return to Australasia next year.
On Friday, the promotion announced the Kiwi-born Australian will face Paulo Costa in the co-main event at UFC 284 at Perth on February 12.
Featherweight kingpin and local hero Alexander Volkanovski is expected to headline the event against an opponent yet to be determined.
The card is the first on Australian shores since 2019, when Kiwi Israel Adesanya knocked out Robert Whittaker to win the middleweight title at Melbourne.
Unfortunately for NZ fight fans, the opportunities for Kiwis on the card seem limited. The timing of the event would mean a short turnaround for Dan Hooker, Brad Riddell, and Carlos Ulberg, who will all fight at UFC 281 at New York City on November 13.
Adesanya's title defence against Alex Pereira will be the marquee act at that event, and with both headlining slots now seemingly occupied at Perth, he's essentially out the running for a return to the region.
But the scheduling would suit the likes of Kai Kara-France and Blood Diamond, who are both without opponents since their respective losses at UFC 277 back in late July.
Aussie cult favourite Tai Tuivasa also appears to have only an outside chance to back up from his heavyweight clash with Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Orlando on December 4 (NZ time).
Whittaker is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Marvin Vettori at Paris in September and will be hoping to book a third date with 'The Last Stylebender' with victory over Brazil's Costa.
A familiar face to NZ fans, after his long feud with Adesanya that ended with a demoralising TKO in 2020, Costa most recently beat Luke Rockhold in a bizarre contest at UFC 277.
