:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71264384/1406269532.0.jpg "UFC 278 start time: When the main card and pay-per-view broadcast begin on Saturday")
UFC 278 will take place on Saturday, August 20 from the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Arena. The night starts at 6 p.m. ET with the early preliminary card and will be followed by the preliminary card at 8 p.m. ET. The five-bout main card will only be available on ESPN+PPV starting at 10 p.m. ET. The night is highlighted by #2 Leon Edwards challenging Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title in the main event.
Usman will be defending his welterweight title belt for the sixth time. He has won 18 fights in a row and has won three of his last five fights by knockout. He takes on Edwards, who enters on a nine-fight win streak. Edwards has been away from the octagon for over a year as he recovered from his last fight with Nate Diaz and prepared for the first title opportunity of his career.
The main card will start with Tyson Pedro taking on Harry Hunsucker in a light heavyweight fight. #11 Marcin Tybura and #13 Alexandr Romanov follow with a heavyweight bout, while #3 Jose Aldo faces #6 Merab Dvalishvili will meet in a bantamweight match. The co-main event will see #6 Paulo Costa taking on Luke Rockhold in a middleweight fight.
UFC 278 will get underway at 6:00 p.m. ET with four fights on the early preliminary card on ESPN and ESPN+. Once that wraps, the regular preliminary card is scheduled to start 8:00 p.m. ET. and will air on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+. There are currently four fights scheduled for that part of the show.
The main card is currently scheduled to get started at 10:00 p.m. ET, and will take place live on ESPN+ PPV. Even if it is delayed, that's close enough to plan your evening accordingly. And if you only care about the main event between Usman and Edwards, it's estimated that will start just after midnight ET.