Las Vegas Sun

Currently: 70° | Complete forecast |

UFC banking on better luck keeping stars healthy with crowded 2015 calendar

UFC holds ‘The Time is Now’ press conference to reveal schedule for upcoming year

UFC News Conference At Smith Center

Steve Marcus

Anderson Silva, former UFC middleweight champion, responds to a question during a UFC news conference at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts Monday, Nov. 17, 2014.

UFC News Conference At Smith Center

Ronda Rousey, left, UFC womens bantamweight champion and challenger Cat Zingano pose during a UFC news conference at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts Monday, Nov. 17, 2014. Launch slideshow »

The UFC’s press event to announce its 2015 schedule sounded more like a medical conference during stretches Monday afternoon at the Smith Center.

More than half of the star fighters the locally based fight league brought to town to promote their upcoming bouts haven’t fought since suffering injuries within the past several months.

“This last year was a very crazy year for us,” UFC President Dana White said. “2012 was brutal with the injuries, but this year it was so different, because it was all main and co-main events … Coming into the new year with all these great fights, all these guys will stay healthy, train smart and these fights will happen.”

The UFC has staged a record-high number of fight cards in 2014, with 46 slated to be the final tally at the end of December. The promotion appeared to struggle keeping pace at times, largely because of the rash of injuries.

Seven out of the UFC’s nine current champions missed time in 2014 with an injury. Out of the last eight pay-per-view cards alone, six headlining fights fell through.

The strategy won’t be to cut back next year. On the contrary, White and his team revealed dates for 45 cards — the full list is at the bottom of the page — next year. The calendar begins with one of six Las Vegas events when Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier finally settle their differences in a light heavyweight championship match at UFC 182 Jan. 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I can feel the knee re-strengthen,” Jones said of a torn meniscus he suffered before the two were supposed to fight in September. “It’s not the same, but I’m getting back mobility. The only time I can really feel it is when I’m doing squats.”

The next Las Vegas card, UFC 183 on Jan. 31 at the MGM, features a fighter coming back from possibly the most horrific injury in the promotion’s history. Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva made his first public appearance in America since shattering his leg against Chris Weidman at UFC 168.

Some thought the 39-year-old Silva, considered one of the greatest fighters of all-time, was destined to retire after the incident but it instead may have renewed him. Silva spoke with more excitement than ever about a fight regarding his main event matchup with former welterweight top contender Nick Diaz.

“I talked to my friends and my wife back home,” Silva said of contemplating his comeback. “My kids said, ‘Dad, please don’t go back.’ I said, ‘I need (to go) back because this is a part of my life.’ My wife and kids said, ‘OK, Dad, you’re happy. Go back.’”

Diaz isn’t coming off an injury, but he’s been retired for more than a year and a half after losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 158. Other ailing mainstays in attendance included Weidman, who broke his hand to shift his bout with Vitor Belfort from UFC 181 on Dec. 6 at Mandalay Bay to UFC 184 on Feb. 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

He’ll share headlining duties with women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who had to repair her own broken hand after a UFC 175 win over Alexis Davis. Rousey and top contender Cat Zingano were supposed to co-headline the Jones vs. Cormier card until the latter needed more time to heal a back problem.

“I was so excited about Jan. 3,” Rousey said. “I was so in shape and ready to start camp. The thing is I don’t get ready; I stay ready. I’m the best in the world every day of the year.”

Check out the full list of 2015 UFC dates below. Locations and fights are only announced for the first two months.

Jan. 3: UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier in Las Vegas

Jan. 18: UFC Fight Night 59: Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Siver in Boston

Jan. 24: UFC on Fox 14: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson in Stockholm

Jan. 31: UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz in Las Vegas

Feb. 14: UFC Fight Night 60: Matt Brown vs. Tarec Saffiedine in Broomfield, Colo.

Feb. 22: UFC Fight Night 61 in Brazil

Feb. 28: UFC 184: Weidman vs. Belfort in Los Angeles

March 7: UFC Fight Night 62

March 14: UFC 185

March 21: UFC Fight Night 63

April 4: UFC Fight Night 64

April 11: UFC Fight Night 65

April 18: UFC Fight Night 66

April 25: UFC 186

May 15: UFC Fight Night 67

May 16: UFC Fight Night 68

May 23: UFC 187

May 30: UFC Fight Night 69

June 6: UFC Fight Night 70

June 13: UFC 188

June 20: UFC Fight Night 71

June 27: UFC Fight Night 72

July 11: UFC 189

July 12: UFC Fight Night 73

July 15: UFC Fight Night 74

July 18: UFC Fight Night 75

TBA: UFC Fight Night 76

July 25: UFC Fight Night 77

August 1: UFC 190

August 8: UFC Fight Night 78

August 23: UFC Fight Night 79

August 29: UFC Fight Night 80

Sept. 5: UFC 191

Sept. 19: FC Fight Night 81

Sept. 26: UFC Fight Night 82

TBA: UFC Fight Night 83

Oct. 3: UFC 192

Nov. 7: UFC Fight Night 84

Nov. 14: UFC 193

Nov. 21: UFC Fight Night 85

Nov. 28: UFC Fight Night 86

TBA: UFC Fight Night 87

Dec. 5: UFC 194

Dec. 12: UFC Fight Night 88

Dec. 19: UFC Fight Night 89

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy