The UFC has announced its return to Australia with UFC 284 on February 12, 2023 at the RAC Arena in Perth.

The event, in partnership with the Western Australian (WA) government, follows UFC 243: Whittaker vs Adesanya at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

Commenting on Perth hosting UFC 284, UFC president, Dana White, said: “I’m so pumped we are returning to Perth for UFC 284 – it was an amazing host city in 2018 and this February we’re bringing a stacked card headlined with a championship fight.”

“Australian fans are some of the best in the world and they’ve had to wait a long time for this. I can’t wait to put on another massive show for them,” he said.

The UFC’s return to Perth also comes after the organisation hosted events in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

On the partnership to bring the UFC back to Australia, WA Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, Roger Cook, said: “Australia has a real appetite for UFC and the event attracts spectators to Perth from across the country.”

“The McGowan Government, through Tourism WA, is proud to support the return of this event back to Perth, after the huge success of the 2018 event.

“Hosting UFC at RAC Arena is expected to attract thousands of people to WA, who will patronise our local accommodation and hospitality business, and inject millions into our State’s economy,” he said.

UFC vice president of Australia and New Zealand, Peter Kloczko, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to finally be returning to Australia.”

“Our athletes, fans and partners have been extremely patient to have a UFC event back on Australian soil.

“I want to thank the McGowan Government and Tourism Western Australia for their continued support for UFC, MMA and making UFC 284 in Perth possible,” he said.

Kloczko and Cook were also joined by number one ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Alex Volkanovski, at the RAC Arena to announce the event.

The announcement comes after the UFC attended the Women in Sport Summit last month on the Gold Coast.