2012 in UFC
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events and promotions |
| Website | ufc |
The year 2012 commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a premier mixed martial arts organization based in the United States. The calendar year commenced with UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and concluded with UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2. Notable moments from this period included José Aldo's successful defense of the Featherweight title, Carlos Condit being named Interim Welterweight Champion, Benson Henderson securing the Lightweight Championship, the launch of the first UFC Flyweight Championship tournament, and the final episodes of The Ultimate Fighter 15 as well as The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.
2012 UFC.com Awards
| 2012 UFC.COM Awards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Top Fighter | Major Upsets | Outstanding Submissions | Breakthrough Newcomers | Memorable Knockouts | Best Bouts |
| 1 | Benson Henderson | Tim Boetsch defeats Héctor Lombard (UFC 149) | The Korean Zombie defeats Dustin Poirier (UFC on Fuel TV: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier) | Glover Teixeira | Edson Barboza defeats Terry Etim (UFC 142) | Jim Miller defeats Joe Lauzon (UFC 155) |
| 2 | Jon Jones | Ryan Bader defeats Quinton Jackson (UFC 144) | Matt Wiman defeats Paul Sass (UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic) | Erik Pérez | Cung Le defeats Rich Franklin (UFC on Fuel TV: Franklin vs. Le) | The Korean Zombie defeats Dustin Poirier (UFC on Fuel TV: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier) |
| 3 | Demetrious Johnson | Jamie Varner defeats Edson Barboza (UFC 146) | Charles Oliveira defeats Eric Wisely (UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis) | Max Holloway | Anthony Pettis defeats Joe Lauzon (UFC 144) | Eddie Yagin defeats Mark Hominick (UFC 145) |
UFC Debutants in 2012
The list below features fighters who made their first appearance in the UFC during 2012:
- Abel Trujillo
- Akira Corassani
- Al Iaquinta
- Andrew Craig
- Andy Ogle
- Anistavio Medeiros
- Anton Kuivanen
- Antonio Carvalho
- Antônio Silva
- Azamat Gashimov
- Ben Alloway
- Bernardo Magalhaes
- Besam Yousef
- Brad Scott
- Brendan Loughnane
- Brock Jardine
- Buddy Roberts
- C.J. Keith
- Caio Magalhaes
- Carlo Prater
- Cezar Ferreira
- Chad Griggs
- Chico Camus
- Chris Clements
- Chris Saunders
- Chris Tickle
- Cody Donovan
- Colin Fletcher
- Colton Smith
- Cristiano Marcello
- Dan Stittgen
- Daniel Pineda
- Daron Cruickshank
- Delson Heleno
- Derek Brunson
- Ednaldo Oliveira
- Eiji Mitsuoka
- Eric Wisely
- Erik Perez
- Francisco Trinaldo
- Glover Teixeira
- Godofredo Pepey
- Gunnar Nelson
- Hacran Dias
- Héctor Lombard
- Henry Martinez
- Hugo Viana
- Ian McCall
- Issei Tamura
- Jared Papazian
- Jeremy Larsen
- Jimi Manuwa
- Joe Proctor
- Joey Gambino
- John Cofer
- John Lineker
- John Moraga
- John Teixeira
- John-Olav Einemo
- Jon Tuck
- Jussier Formiga
- Justin Lawrence
- Justin Salas
- Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Lavar Johnson
- Leonardo Mafra
- Magnus Cedenblad
- Manuel Rodriguez
- Marcelo Guimarães
- Marcos Vinicius
- Marcus LeVesseur
- Max Holloway
- Maximo Blanco
- Michael Chiesa
- Michael Kuiper
- Mike Ricci
- Mike Rio
- Mike Wilkinson
- Milton Vieira
- Mitch Gagnon'
- Motonobu Tezuka
- Myles Jury'
- Nick Denis'
Nick Penner
- [[]]Norman Parke'
- [[]]Oli Thompson'
Pat Schilling
- [[]]Phil Harris'
- [[]]Renee Forte'
'* Reza Madadi' '* Robert Whittaker (fighter)' '* Rodrigo Damm' '* Rony Mariano Bezerra' '* Rustam Khabilov' '* Ryan Jimmo' '* Sam Sicilia' '* Sergio Moraes' '* Shane del Rosario' '* Shawn Jordan' '* Simeon Thoresen' '* Siyar Bahadurzada' '* Stephen Thompson (fighter)' '* Thiago Perpétuo' '* Tim Elliott' '* Tim Means' '* Tom DeBlass' '* Tom Watson (fighter)' '* Tommy Hayden '* Ulysses Gomez' '* Vinc Pichel' '* Wagner Campos '* Wagner Prado' '* Yaotzin Meza' '* Yasuhiro Urushitani' '* Yoislandy Izquierdo
The Ultimate Fighter
| Season | Final Event | Weight Class | Champion | Second Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUF 15: Live | June 1, 2012 | Lightweight | Michael Chiesa | Al Iaquinta |
| TUF: Brazil | June 23, 2012 | Featherweight | Rony Mariano Bezerra | Godofredo Pepey |
| Middleweight | Cezar Ferreira | Sergio Moraes | ||
| TUF 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson | December 15, 2012 | Welterweight | Colton Smith | Mike Ricci |
| TUF: The Smashes | December 15, 2012 | Lightweight | Norman Parke | Colin Fletcher |
| Welterweight | Robert Whittaker | Brad Scott |
Events list
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|| MGM Grand Garden Arena || Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, U.S. || Template:Nts
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|| Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas) || Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. || Template:Nts
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|| Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre || Gold Coast, Australia || Template:Nts
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|| KeyArena || Seattle, Washington, U.S. || Template:Nts
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|| Bell Centre || Montreal, Quebec, Canada || Template:Nts
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|| CotaiArena || Macau SAR, China || Template:Nts
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|| HSBC Arena (Rio de Janeiro) || Rio de Janeiro, Brazil || Template:Nts
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|| Target Center || Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. || Template:Nts
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|| Capital FM Arena || Nottingham, England, U.K. || Template:Nts
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|| Air Canada Centre|| Toronto, Ontario, Canada|| Template:Nts
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|| Mandalay Bay Events Center|| Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.|| Cancelled
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|| Pepsi Center|| Denver, Colorado, U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| Staples Center|| Los Angeles, California, U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| Scotiabank Saddledome|| Calgary, Alberta, Canada|| Template:Nts
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|| HP Pavilion|| San Jose, California,U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| MGM Grand Garden Arena|| Las Vegas,Nevada,U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| Mineirinho Arena|| Belo Horizonte,Brazil|| Template:Nts
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|| Revel Casino Hotel|| Atlantic City,N.J., U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| BankAtlantic Center|| Sunrise, Florida,U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| Palms Casino Resort|| Las Vegas,Nevada,U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| MGM Grand Garden Arena|| Las Vegas,Nevada,U.S.|| Template:Nts
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|| Patriot Center||| Fairfax Virginia,U.S.||| Template:Nts
UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis
UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis, also referred to as UFC on Fox 2, was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 28, 2012, at the United Center located in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC's second live broadcast on Fox as part of a seven-year agreement between the promotion and the network.
Initially, a matchup between Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Wineland was planned; however, Johnson withdrew to participate in the forthcoming Flyweight tournament. Subsequently, Wineland was slated to face Johnny Bedford, who was then reassigned to fight promotional newcomer Mitch Gagnon after Wineland suffered an injury. Unfortunately, this bout was called off just days before the event due to visa complications affecting Gagnon.
Additional alterations included Paul Sass pulling out because of injury and being succeeded by Nik Lentz, while Cody McKenzie was replaced by Shane Roller in his contest against Michael Johnson.
A significant middleweight contender fight experienced changes when Mark Muñoz withdrew due to injury. Michael Bisping, originally scheduled for a different opponent, stepped in to face Chael Sonnen. Following this adjustment, Chris Weidman accepted a short-notice opportunity to compete against Demian Maia.
The preliminary fight featuring Chris Camozzi versus Dustin Jacoby marked the first UFC bout since March 2011 that was not broadcast live either on television or Facebook.
The event attracted an audience of 16,963 attendees and generated gate revenue totaling $1.27 million. Television viewership averaged 4.7 million viewers, peaking at 6 million during the headlining fight.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Middleweight |Chris Weidman |def. |Demian Maia |Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–27, 29–28) |3 |5:00 |} }
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $65,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Evan Dunham vs. Nik Lentz
- Knockout of the Night: Lavar Johnson
- Submission of the Night: Charles Oliveira
UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger
UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger, also known as UFC on Fuel TV 1, was the inaugural UFC card broadcast exclusively on Fuel TV. The event took place on February 15, 2012, at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. It drew an attendance of 6,283 spectators and produced gate earnings of $405,895. The broadcast set a new viewership record for Fuel TV with 217,000 viewers.
Background
The headline bout featured a clash between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger. Ellenberger entered riding a five-fight winning streak, with four victories coming via stoppage, including a triumph over Jake Shields. This event marked Sanchez’s seventeenth UFC appearance since securing victory on The Ultimate Fighter 1 back in April 2005. Ellenberger extended his winning run by defeating Sanchez through a unanimous decision.
Rani Yahya was originally booked to face Jonathan Brookins, but withdrew because of injury; he was replaced by Vagner Rocha.
Promotional newcomers Yoislandy Izquierdo and Bernardo Magalhaes were scheduled to compete; however, Izquierdo was removed due to contractual issues and substituted by Tim Means.
On the day of the event, a preliminary bout between Buddy Roberts and Sean Loeffler was canceled after Loeffler suffered an ankle injury during warm-ups. Consequently, the card featured nine fights—the fewest since UFC 110 in 2010.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Featherweight |Jonathan Brookins |def. |Vagner Rocha |KO (punches) |1 |1:32 |} }
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger
- Knockout of the Night: Stipe Miocic
- Submission of the Night: Ivan Menjivar
UFC on Fuel TV: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier
UFC on Fuel TV: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier (also referred to as UFC on Fuel TV 3) was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 15, 2012, hosted at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Initially announced as UFC on FX 3, it was later designated as a Fuel TV broadcast.
Background
Originally, Brandon Vera was set to rematch Thiago Silva but had to withdraw because of injury; Igor Pokrajac stepped in as his replacement. Subsequently, Silva was moved to face Alexander Gustafsson after Antônio Rogério Nogueira withdrew due to injury, resulting in Pokrajac being matched against Fabio Maldonado.
Yves Edwards was scheduled to compete against Donald Cerrone but pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Jeremy Stephens.
Mike Easton was slated to fight Yves Jabouin but withdrew with an injury; Jeff Hougland, initially booked for UFC 148, took his place.
Aaron Riley was replaced by newcomer Marcus LeVesseur in the bout against Cody McKenzie.
Due to injury, Azamat Gashimov withdrew and was substituted by returning veteran Francisco Rivera to face Alex Soto.
The headline bout featured Chan Sung Jung versus Dustin Poirier, with the victor positioned for a potential UFC Featherweight Championship matchup against José Aldo, which eventually took place 15 months later at UFC 163.
Bonus awards
Each fighter received $40,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Chan-Sung Jung
- Knockout of the Night: Tom Lawlor
- Submission of the Night: Chan-Sung Jung
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter payouts submitted to the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation exclude sponsorship earnings and UFC "fight night" bonuses:
- Chan Sung Jung: $34,000 (including a $17,000 win bonus) defeated Dustin Poirier: $14,000
- Amir Sadollah: $48,000 (including a $24,000 win bonus) defeated Jorge Lopez: $6,000
- Donald Cerrone: $60,000 (including a $30,000 win bonus) defeated Jeremy Stephens: $24,000
- Yves Jabouin: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Jeff Hougland: $8,000
- Igor Pokrajac: $34,000 (including a $17,000 win bonus) defeated Fabio Maldonado: $11,000
- Tom Lawlor: $24,000 (including a $12,000 win bonus) defeated Jason MacDonald: $19,000
- Brad Tavares: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Dongi Yang: $12,000
- Cody McKenzie: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Marcus LeVesseur: $6,000
- T. J. Grant: $30,000 (including a $15,000 win bonus) defeated Carlo Prater: $10,000
- Rafael dos Anjos: $36,000 (including an $18,000 win bonus) defeated Kamal Shalorus: $11,000
- Johnny Eduardo: $12,000 (including a $6,000 win bonus) defeated Jeff Curran: $8,000
- Francisco Rivera: $12,000 (including a $6,000 win bonus) defeated Alex Soto: $6,000
UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall 2
UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall (also referred to as UFC on FX 3) was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 8, 2012, hosted at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Background
Following a scoring miscalculation at UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann, the bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall was initially announced as a majority draw, although it had been mistakenly recorded as a win for Johnson. Dana White acknowledged the error and arranged for a rematch. Originally planned for The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale, the fight was later shifted to headline UFC on FX 3.
This event represented UFC's return to the South Florida region since UFC Fight Night 10 in 2007 and was notable for being the first UFC event to feature a flyweight division fight as its main event.
Flyweight Championship bracket
1 The first semifinal encounter between Johnson and McCall at UFC on FX 2 concluded in a draw; Johnson secured victory in their rematch at UFC on FX 3.
Bonus awards
The following competitors were awarded $40,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Eddie Wineland vs. Scott Jorgensen
- Knockout of the Night: Mike Pyle
- Submission of the Night: Erick Silva
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter earnings submitted to the Florida State Boxing Commission do not account for sponsorship income or UFC’s customary "fight night" bonuses.
- Demetrious Johnson: $40,000 (including a $20,000 win bonus) defeated Ian McCall: $9,000
- Erick Silva: $16,000 (including an $8,000 win bonus) defeated Charlie Brenneman: $18,000
- Mike Pyle: $66,000 (including a $33,000 win bonus) defeated Josh Neer: $14,000
- Eddie Wineland: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Scott Jorgensen: $20,500
- Mike Pierce: $40,000 (including a $20,000 win bonus) defeated Carlos Eduardo Rocha: $8,000
- Seth Baczynski: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Lance Benoist: $8,000
- Matt Grice: $12,000 (including a $6,000 win bonus) defeated Leonard Garcia: $20,000
- Dustin Pague: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Jared Papazian: $6,000
- Tim Means: $16,000 (including an $8,000 win bonus) defeated Justin Salas: $8,000
- Buddy Roberts: $12,000 (including a $6,000 win bonus) defeated Caio Magalhaes: $8,000
- Henry Martinez: $12,000 (including a $6,000 win bonus) defeated Bernardo Magalhaes: $8,000
- Sean Pierson: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Jake Hecht: $8,000
UFC 149: Faber vs. Barão
UFC 149: Faber vs. Barão took place on July 21, 2012, at the Scotiabank Saddledome located in Calgary, Alberta. This event marked UFC’s inaugural appearance in Alberta. Attendance reached 16,089 spectators with live gate revenues approximating $4.1 million. The pay-per-view purchase count was recorded at 235,000.
Background
On April 24, the scheduled UFC Middleweight Championship clash between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, originally planned as the main event for UFC 147, was postponed to UFC 148 due to a scheduling conflict involving a UN Conference. Meanwhile, José Aldo, who was set to defend his featherweight title at UFC 147, was reassigned as the headliner for UFC 147 but eventually confirmed to defend his belt against Erik Koch at UFC 149.
The matchup between Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch, initially arranged for UFC 148, was rescheduled to UFC 149 to enhance that event's lineup. Bisping later withdrew because of injury and was replaced by debutant Hector Lombard.
Yoshihiro Akiyama was expected to face off against Thiago Alves but pulled out due to injury, with Siyar Bahadurzada stepping in as his replacement. Alves subsequently withdrew citing injury as well, leading to Chris Clements taking his place. Bahadurzada also suffered an injury and was replaced by Matthew Riddle.
Thiago Silva had been slated to fight Maurício Rua, but after withdrawing because of injury, Rua was removed from the UFC 149 card and later competed at UFC on Fox 4.
On June 4, the UFC announced signing former DREAM titleholder Bibiano Fernandes, who was expected to face Roland Delorme. However, Fernandes withdrew due to injury and ultimately did not finalize a contract; consequently, Francisco Rivera stepped in to challenge Delorme.
On June 9, featherweight champion José Aldo pulled out of UFC 149 with an injury, leaving his opponent Erik Koch without a replacement. This development elevated the interim bantamweight championship bout between Urijah Faber and Renan Barão to the event’s main attraction.
George Roop was scheduled to compete against Antonio Carvalho, but withdrew on June 26 and was succeeded by Daniel Pineda.
Former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion and Pride veteran Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira was set to fight Cheick Kongo, but he withdrew due to an unresolved arm injury; his spot was filled by Shawn Jordan.
Claude Patrick had been slated to face James Head, but after withdrawing with an injury, he was replaced by Brian Ebersole.
Bonus awards
The following competitors earned $65,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon
- Knockout of the Night: Ryan Jimmo
- Submission of the Night: Matthew Riddle