Everything you need to know about UFC 263

UFC 263 will feature two high-profile rematches and the first non-title fight set for five rounds.

This event has momentous potential, and we have everything you need to know before UFC 263.

Where is it happening?

UFC 263 is scheduled for action Saturday, June 12 at 10 p.m. ET. The event will take place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

The main card will air as an ESPN+ pay-per-view, with preliminary bouts available to existing ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass subscribers.

Who is on the main card?

What to expect on fight night

UFC 263’s biggest bouts are a pair of rematches with title implications.

The main event features Israel Adesanya’s return to the middleweight division, after a botched attempt to win the light heavyweight title against Marvin Vettori, whom he defeated in 2018.

The chief supporting bout will pit Deiveson Figueiredo against Brandon Moreno, a rematch of their brutal brawl at UFC 256, where the two fought to a draw.

Also, Leon Edwards will face off against the popular Nate Diaz in a five-round welterweight clash.

Revenge or rebound? Who will rule the middleweight division?

Adesanya’s comprehensive loss to Jan Blachowicz showed there is a ceiling to his talent.

He will not get a softball opponent for his trip back down the scales. Vettori has been gunning for Adesanya since their first bout, one he arguably should have won, and he was almost too much for Adesanya to handle then.

Since that loss, Vettori has been on a tear and is a complete fighter. We’ll have to see how Adesanya adjusts to the move back down, but the odds clearly miss on how competitive this fight will be.

Figueiredo and Moreno resume hostilities

The savage first fight between Figueiredo and Moreno was one of 2020's best, and the draw was the right call to make

The rematch should be just as violent as their first encounter, but a key factor is that Figueiredo is rested. Last year, Figueiredo fought four times and took the Moreno fight less than three weeks after he defeated Alex Perez.

The heavy-handed Figueiredo will need to be mindful of Moreno’s grappling, but this could be the fight of the night.

Nate Diaz in must-win fight against Leon Edwards

Despite another long absence from the octagon, and off a loss, Diaz is inexplicably one fight away from a title shot at welterweight.

Diaz is 2-2 over his last four fights, but the gloss over his 2016 win over Conor McGregor is long gone. The UFC would love nothing more than for Diaz to face Kamaru Usman, because Diaz is a marketable fighter, but he is in way over his head against Edwards, who is overdue a shot at the champ.

If Edwards defeats Diaz conclusively, there will be no grand gesture to keep Diaz in the spotlight beyond another loss.

Jamahal Hill seeks breakout performance

With the light heavyweight division in a state of flux, Jamahal Hill will hope to make the most of his spot on the card against veteran Paul Craig.

Craig has won three of his last four fights and is capable, but he is tailor-made for Hill’s offense.

It will fall on Hill to turn in the kind of performance that will inch him toward a shot against an elite light heavyweight in 2022.

Should the UFC continue five-round fights in non-title bouts?

For no other reason than to give Diaz a better chance to win, the UFC made the Edwards/Diaz fight a five-round bout.

The problem with this is that it suggests the UFC is open to changing something that already works, even in promotions outside its domain. Though exceptions could exist for special circumstances, such as mega fights or dream bouts, this shouldn’t become a standard practice.