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Dana White Announces UFC 327 Headliner
On Friday, Dana White went live on his Instagram with major breaking news regarding UFC 327. The event takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on Apr. 11. UFC 327 will be headlined by a vacant light heavyweight title clash between Carlos Ulberg and former champion Jiri Prochazka.
The decision to crown a new light heavyweight champion came after Alex Pereira chose to vacate the title. Pereira reclaimed the title with an impressive 1st round TKO win over Magomed Ankalaev, avenging his loss from last March.
Pereira’s decision to vacate comes as he aims to become the first ever three-division UFC champion. It seems that the promotion will give him the chance to move up to heavyweight. As a result, Ulberg and Prochazcka will face off to crown a new champion and keep the division moving.
The co-main event will see Joshua Van defend his flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira. It marks Van’s first flyweight title defense since defeating Alexandre Pantoja last December, after the Brazilian suffered an elbow injury that led to the fight being waved off.
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Dana White Announced Additional UFC 327 Bouts
Dana White also announced several additional fights that will complete the UFC 327 card. With notable names on both the main card and prelims, the event is shaping up to be an exciting one.
In lightweight action, No. 12 ranked Beneil Dariush will face No. 14 ranked Manuel Torres. Dariush comes into the fight after a knockout loss to Benoit Saint Denis.
Torres, meanwhile, enters on a two-fight win streak, with back-to-back 1st round TKOs over Drew Dober and Grant Dawson.
In featherweight action, Aaron Pico faces former two-division Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull. UFC 327 marks Pico’s second octagon appearance after losing his debut against Lerone Murphy. Pitbull, meanwhile, is coming off his first UFC win over Dan Ige.
Pico and Pitbull have been linked since their Bellator days. After PFL acquired Bellator, it seemed the fight would finally happen when the Brazilian was the reigning featherweight champion. However, Pitbull defended his title against Jeremy Kennedy instead.
Both fighters expressed interest in the matchup but eventually requested their releases and signed with the UFC. Since joining the UFC, Pitbull is 1-1, while Pico is 0-1, making this a high stakes matchup.
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White Provides Update on UFC’s Upcoming White House Event
GettyUS President Donald Trump (C) and UFC CEO Dana White (L) attend a UFC 316 event, headlined by a rematch between Georgian mixed martial artist Merab Dvalishvili and US mixed martial artist Sean O’Malley at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. (Photo by Frank Franklin II / POOL / AFP) (Photo by FRANK FRANKLIN II/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
White also shared an exciting update on the UFC’s upcoming White House event. The event is set for Jun. 14 and will celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Speculation surrounds who will compete and who will headline the historic event. However, with the fighters available, and there’s no shortage of potential suitors.
Alex Pereira could be a contender, likely competing for an interim heavyweight title if Tom Aspinall remains sidelined. Another possibility is Pereira facing former two-division champion Jon Jones, as both have expressed interest in the matchup for their legacies.
Conor McGregor also remains a strong contender for the card, considering he is eager to return and is the promotion’s biggest star.
White announced he will announce fights for the White House event next week.
Giancarlo Aulino Giancarlo Aulino is sports writer who covers UFC for Heavy.com. He began writing for Heavy in 2025 after providing MMA coverage for Sportskeeda. Giancarlo is an experienced journalist and interviewer, having covered soccer clubs Toronto FC and Inter Toronto FC as a full-season reporter, and also producing sports coverage for Toronto radio station VIBE 105.5FM.
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