UFC invites Boston fans to open workouts, press conference, more

The UFC returns to Boston next week for its debut event on FOX Sports 1, and fans are invited to a host of activities around Beantown.

The city’s TD Garden is the site of next week’s “UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen” event, which takes place on Saturday, Aug. 17, and airs both main-card and preliminary matchups on the brand-new FOX Sports 1 channel following three additional prelim contests that stream on Facebook. However, the UFC-related activities start much earlier in the week.

The sessions start on Tuesday, Aug. 13, where Peter Welch’s Gym plays to a workout for fast-rising Irish featherweight Conor McGregor, who meets Max Holloway at next week’s UFC Fight Night 26 event. McGregor’s workout starts at 3 p.m. ET local time. Afterward, a UFC Fan Gathering is planned nearby at The Blackthorn Bar, where a limited edition McGregor posted will be distributed. Both events are free and open to the public.

On Wednesday, Aug. 14, the promotion hosts open workouts at TD Garden. Taking part are UFC Fight Night 26 headliners Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Chael Sonnen, as well as main-card competitors Travis Browne, Alistair Overeem, Yuri Alcantara, Urijah Faber, John Howard and Mike Pyle. The first fighter hits the mats at 1 p.m. ET local time, and the entire session is scheduled to end at 3 p.m. ET.

That evening, a charity dinner designed to benefit The Shawn Thorton Foundation starts at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are required for the event, which is set to feature UFC President Dana White, UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin and an appearance from some of the UFC’s octagon girls. More information can be found at UFCHomecoming.Eventbrite.com.

On Thursday, Aug. 15, the UFC Fight Night 26 press conference takes place at Wang Theatre. White hosts the presser, which also features Rua, Sonnen, Browne, Overeem, Alcantara, Faber, Michael Johnson and Lauzon. The press conference starts at 1 p.m. ET.

On Friday, fans are invited to the official UFC Fight Night 26 weigh-ins, which also take place at TD Garden. A special UFC Fight Club Q&A session takes place with a fighter yet to be named. That session is open to member of the UFC Fight Club, which is the UFC’s official fan club. The public is invited in at 3 p.m. ET, and the fighters hit the scale one hour later.

The official UFC Fight Night 26 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)

• Mauricio Rua vs. Chael Sonnen
• Travis Browne vs. Alistair Overeem
• Yuri Alcantara vs. Urijah Faber
• Matt Brown vs. Mike Pyle
• Uriah Hall vs. John Howard
• Michael “The Menace” Johnson vs. Joe Lauzon

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 6 p.m. ET)

• Michael McDonald vs. Brad Pickett
• Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor
• Mike Brown vs. Steven Siler
• Diego Brandao vs. Daniel Pineda

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• Manvel Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller
• Cody Donovan vs. Ovince St. Preux
• Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 26, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.