UFC 144
| Company type | Pay-per-view event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | February 26, 2012 |
| Headquarters | Saitama , Japan |
Area served | Worldwide (via pay-per-view) |
UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson was a pay-per-view mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 26, 2012. The event was held at the Saitama Super Arena located in Saitama, Japan.
Venue
The event took place in the Main Stage Center Arena setup within the Saitama Super Arena, situated in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. This sold-out occasion attracted an audience of 21,000 spectators, with 18,000 tickets sold. Ticket prices varied between ¥5,800 and ¥100,000 (roughly US$70 to US$1,250).
Background
UFC 144 represented the organization's fifth event hosted in Japan and its first since the acquisition of Pride Fighting Championships in 2007, a promotion that frequently utilized the same venue. The card featured seven bouts on the main lineup.
There were notable alterations to the fight card: George Sotiropoulos withdrew due to injury and was succeeded by Eiji Mitsuoka to compete against Takanori Gomi. Additionally, Leonard Garcia pulled out because of injury and was replaced by Issei Tamura, who faced off with Zhang Tiequan.
During the official weigh-ins, Quinton Jackson failed to meet the 206-pound limit, coming in at 211 pounds. As a result, he forfeited 20% of his fight purse, and their match proceeded as a catchweight bout at 211 pounds.
Bonus awards
Performance bonuses of $65,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson
- Knockout of the Night: Anthony Pettis
- Submission of the Night: Vaughan Lee