T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri will host UFC Fight Night 257 April 26. The event is headlined by a light heavyweight clash between former champion Jamahal Hill and former title challenger Kalil Rountree Jr.,the fight promotion announced on Wednesday.
Hill (12-3, 1 NC) is coming off back-to-back loses for the first time in his career. He was knocked out by champion Alex Pereira at UFC 300 and was stopped by former titleholder Jiri Prochazka in his last outing at UFC 311 in January. He’s ranked No. 4 in the 205-pound weight class.
Rountree Jr. (13-6, 1 NC) had a five-fight win streak snapped in his last outing at UFC 307 in October. He faced Pereira and gave the champion one of his toughest fights but was finished by TKO late in the fourth frame. Rountree Jr. is ranked No. 7 and to climb a little further up the rankings with a win.
The fight card’s co-main event features veteran former title challenger Anthony Smith and rising Chinese knockout artist Zhang Mingyang. The bout, which will mark Smith’s 60th professional fight, is likely the last for “Lionheart.”
The event will mark the fight promotion’s third trip to Kansas City and the first time the octagon has been there since April 2023.
