Garden State Beatdown: UFC returning to New Jersey for ESPN 5 in August

When the UFC heads to the New York / New Jersey area it is always a fun atmosphere. In New Jersey, you can kick the pressure up a notch. The organization understands that, resulting in their return to The Garden State on August 3rd.

The event will be an ESPN-exclusive, dubbed UFC on ESPN 5, and will take place in the Prudential Center in Newark.

NJ, we're coming! #UFCNewark pic.twitter.com/Gwtcb464tM

— UFC (@ufc) June 20, 2019

The last time New Jersey hosted the UFC was back in April of 2018 in Atlantic City. Frankie Edgar defeated Cub Swanson and Kevin Lee took care of Edson Barboza in a night that had more fights in the crowd than inside the octagon.

When did the UFC last spend their time in Newark? It was January 30, 2016, when Anthony Johnson defeated Ryan Bader via first-round KO. Jon Jones was a regular there for a while, facing off against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 and Shogun Rua at UFC 128. At UFC 111, Georges St-Pierre faced Dan Hardy in the main event. The first event inside the Prudential Center was UFC 78: Validation in 2007 when Rashad Evans defeated Michael Bisping.

Since New York legalized MMA, the UFC has spent more time in the area than in New Jersey. Whenever they head back there, however, they always put on quite a show. Tickets for the event go on sale June 28th.