UFC 128
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | November 12, 1993 |
| Founder | Art Davie, Rorion Gracie |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events, pay-per-view broadcasts |
| Owner | Endeavor Group Holdings |
| Website | www |
UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 19, 2011, at the Prudential Center located in Newark, New Jersey.
Background
Initially scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi, UFC 128 was set to mark the promotion's return to the United Arab Emirates since UFC 112. However, due to difficulties in finalizing a venue, the event was relocated to Newark.
Several alterations impacted the fight lineup: the match between Tito Ortiz and Antônio Rogério Nogueira was shifted to headline UFC Fight Night 24. Brendan Schaub was originally slated to compete against Frank Mir but ultimately faced Mirko Cro Cop. A planned contest between Chael Sonnen and Yoshihiro Akiyama was canceled following Sonnen’s contract suspension amid legal troubles; Nate Marquardt stepped in as Sonnen’s replacement, but Akiyama withdrew because of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. Dan Miller then took on Marquardt, while Miller’s initial opponent, Nick Catone, was paired with UFC debutant Costas Philippou.
The main event experienced a major change when Jon Jones stepped in for the injured Rashad Evans to challenge Maurício "Shogun" Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones accepted the fight on short notice after Evans suffered a knee injury. Quinton Jackson declined the opportunity to fight for the title citing issues related to timing and weight.
Additional card modifications included Karlos Vemola withdrawing due to injury; Eliot Marshall replaced him against Luiz Cane. Manvel Gamburyan also withdrew with a back injury, resulting in Erik Koch facing Raphael Assunção.
UFC 128 showcased two preliminary bouts broadcast live on Spike TV, with further fights streamed through UFC's official Facebook page, increasing digital viewership.
Following the event, Dana White announced that Rashad Evans would be granted the next light heavyweight title shot against the winner of the main event. Nonetheless, later that year at UFC 135, Jones successfully defended his championship against Quinton Jackson.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Catchweight (195 lb) |Nick Catone |def. |Costas Philippou |Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) |}
Bonus awards
The fighters listed below were awarded $70,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani
- Knockout of the Night: Brendan Schaub and Erik Koch
- Submission of the Night: Not awarded as no submissions took place.