The UFC’s return to London continues to fill out.
Flyweight veteran Joanne Wood will return to action against Luana Carolina at UFC 286, which takes place March 18 at O2 Arena. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Two people with knowledge of the booking confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie on Saturday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight was first to report the bout.
It’s been a bumpy road for Wood (15-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) since her June 2020 title fight against Valentina Shevchenko fell through when the champion suffered an injury. Wood elected to fight Jennifer Maia instead and lost by first-round armbar. The loss was the first in a 1-4 stretch that leads into this fight.
Carolina (8-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will look to bounce back from a devastating spinning back elbow knockout against Molly McCann in the same building she will fight Wood in. The defeat snapped a two-fight winning streak for her.
With the addition, the UFC 286 lineup includes:
- Roman Dolidze vs. Marvin Vettori
- Luana Carolina vs. Joanne Wood
