:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71264327/1348311243.0.jpg "UFC 278 start time: When the main card, pay-per-view broadcast begin on Saturday")
UFC 278 will take place on Saturday, August 20 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The event starts at 6 p.m. ET, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. There is only one title fight on this card, which will be featured in the main event as welterweight champion Kamaru Usman puts his title on the line against Leon Edwards.
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 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.
The main event will be a bit of a callback, as Usman and Edwards fought once before in 2019. Usman was coming off his victory at the Ultimate Fighter Season 21 Finale that earned him his UFC contract, and took on Edwards in his first official fight. Usman won by unanimous decision, and Edwards has won nine fights since this loss.
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.