UFC announces Rodriguez vs. Garcia and Pyfer vs. Nickal for 2027 schedule

UFC expanded its announced schedule for 2027 during Saturday's UFC 334 broadcast, revealing main events involving Yair Rodriguez, Steve Garcia, Sean Brady, Gabriel Bonfim, Joe Pyfer and Bo Nickal. The announcements outlined Fight Night cards in Dallas, at the Meta APEX and in Cleveland, while also confirming a location and date for UFC 337.

The promotion will open its year in Dallas on Jan. 16, with Rodriguez facing Garcia. Rodriguez, a former UFC interim featherweight champion, returns to action in the headline matchup. That bout was one of three fights disclosed for the Dallas event, giving the opening card more of its lineup alongside the main event.

The Dallas announcements also included a welterweight contest between Daniel Rodriguez and Roberto Soldic, who is a three-time KSW champion. Ignacio Bahamondes will face Chidi Njokuani on the same card. Those matchups accompanied the Rodriguez vs. Garcia announcement as UFC laid out its plans for the first event of the new year.

UFC will return to the Meta APEX a week later, on Jan. 23, for a card headlined by Brady and Bonfim. Their fight has been rescheduled after an earlier attempt to stage it fell through. The two had originally been booked to lead the UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 7.

Brady withdrew from that November assignment at short notice, prompting a change to the top of the card. Matchmakers replaced the planned Brady vs. Bonfim main event with an unexpected heavyweight bout between Waldo Cortes Acosta and Johnny Walker. The January booking gives Brady and Bonfim another opportunity to meet after that disruption.

The other newly announced Fight Night headliner pairs ranked middleweights Pyfer and Nickal in Cleveland on Feb. 13. Their contest had been expected to take place at UFC 336, but it has shifted to the Cleveland event, where it will serve as the main attraction.

UFC also confirmed that Orlando, Florida, will host UFC 337 on Feb. 20, one week after the Cleveland card. No bouts were revealed for the Orlando event during the announcement.

Before Saturday's additions, UFC 336 in Toronto was the only publicly confirmed event on the promotion's 2027 calendar. That numbered card is headlined by flyweight champion Joshua Van against Manel Kape. It also includes Carlos Prates against Michael Morales in a fight for the interim welterweight championship.