We get it; we know the rules: You can’t talk about Fight Club.
Upcoming cards at the Prudential Center, the type of events that have made the arena the top venue for combat sports in the area, that’s all good.
So, listen up: In the next 10 weeks, the Pru Center will host five marquee events, headlined by the return of UFC on May 9. The arena also will host a mix of boxing and wrestling events, including Sumo on May 16, and Final X, USA Wrestling’s flagship senior-level event on June 19.
In all, there will be nearly 150 athletes across five different events.
Here’s the lineup:
Boxing (April 10, that’s tonight): The second edition of the Brick City Fight Night Series features a mix of professional and amateur bouts.
Headlining the event is a 10-round middleweight main event, WBO #15-ranked Hebert Conceicao Sousa (10-0, 5 KOs) of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will face his toughest career test to date against dangerous knockout puncher Johan “The Chelo Manotas” Gonzalez (36-5, 34 KOs) of Las Vegas via Valencia, Venezuela.
And in the 10-round super welterweight co-feature, fan favorites Francisco “Bebu” Daniel Veron (16-1-1, 10 KOs) of Jose Leon Suarez of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Raul Garcia (15-2-1 12 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, will meet.
The event will also include six special Police vs. Firefighters “First Responders” amateur showcase bouts as part of the New Jersey edition of the Battle of the Badges, honoring local police, fire, EMS and military teams.
UFC 328 (May 9): Ultimate Fighting Championship returns for the fourth consecutive year – and 12th time dating back to 2007.
The card will be headlined by a UFC World Championship bout as middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev defends his title against Sean Strickland. The matchup marks
Chimaev’s first title defense since capturing the championship from Dricus du Plessis, while Strickland returns to the venue where he previously delivered a standout performance.
In the co-main event, the flyweight title fight between champion Joshua Van and challenger Tatsuro Taira will now take place at UFC 328.
Heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov will face rising star Waldo Cortes-Acosta, with both fighters aiming to make a strong statement in the division’s title picture.
The full UFC card can be found here.
World Elite Sumo (May 16): World Elite Sumo makes its Prudential Center debut, bringing the centuries-old sport of sumo wrestling to Newark in a fast-paced, modern combat format.
Founded by former top-division sumo wrestler Abdelrahman “Sandstorm” Shalan, WES blends traditional elements of the sport with a high-energy fight-night experience featuring dramatic entrances, live taiko drumming, and an international roster of athletes from Japan, Egypt, Brazil, Mongolia, Russia, and the United States.
Boxing (June 6): RDR Promotions will stage its first show at the Prudential Center when Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga headlines their “Crossroads in Brick City” event.
The heavy-handed Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs), a native of Orosh, Albania who now lives in New Jersey, will face an opponent to be named in an eight-round fight. In the co-featured bout, Newark’s own Michael “Slick” Anderson (25-4-1, 19 KOs) will meet Nimal Farmer (6-1-2, 4 KOs) of Lindenwold, N.J. in a ten-round welterweight fight.
Final X (June 19): USA Wrestling’s flagship senior-level event, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, returns to Prudential Center alongside the Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit.
Final X will determine the 2026 U.S. Senior World Team in men’s and women’s freestyle wrestling, with the top two U.S. athletes in each of 20 weight classes competing in best-of-three series to decide who will represent Team USA at the 2026 Senior World Championships in Manama, Bahrain.
