UFC 273 targeted for Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 9

The UFC is currently targeting a return to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., for its upcoming UFC 273 card expected on April 9.

Multiple sources confirmed the plans when speaking to MMA Fighting on Thursday following an initial report from ESPN.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, plans for any upcoming UFC event could be changed or altered, but right now the promotion is planning to go back to Brooklyn for the first time in more than three years. The UFC has made no formal announcement regarding the upcoming pay-per-view in April.

Assuming plans move ahead as scheduled, UFC 273 will be the first UFC card held at the Barclays Center since a Fight Night event back in 2019, which saw Henry Cejudo defend his flyweight title with a blistering first-round knockout over T.J. Dillashaw.

Prior events held at the arena in which the Brooklyn Nets call home included UFC 223, which saw Khabib Nurmagomedov crowned lightweight champion following a win over late-notice replacement opponent Al Iaquinta. That was the same fight week where former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor assaulted a bus filled with fighters in an attempt to get at Nurmagomedov, which eventually led to his arrest.

The first-ever UFC card held in Brooklyn happened in 2017 with Germaine de Randamie defeating Holly Holm in the main event to claim the inaugural women’s featherweight title.

As of now, the UFC hasn’t officially booked any fights for UFC 273 in April, although it appears plans are in motion to begin putting together that card in the very near future.