UFC 153
| Company type | Pay-per-view event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | October 13, 2012 |
| Headquarters | Rio de Janeiro , Brazil |
| Products | Mixed martial arts fights |
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 13, 2012, hosted at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Background
Originally, Vitor Belfort was scheduled to compete against Alan Belcher, but Belfort was reassigned to face Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones at UFC 152. Belcher withdrew from the matchup due to a spinal fracture.
A rematch between Phil Davis and Wagner Prado was arranged for this card after their previous encounter ended in a no-contest.
Quinton Jackson was intended to fight Glover Teixeira; however, Jackson pulled out because of an injury and was replaced by Fabio Maldonado. Former champion Rashad Evans declined the opportunity to step in on short notice against Teixeira.
Geronimo dos Santos was removed from his bout with Gabriel Gonzaga after testing positive for Hepatitis B antibodies, which resulted in Gonzaga’s removal from the event due to the absence of a suitable substitute.
Erik Koch was expected to challenge UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo, but an injury forced him to withdraw. Former Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar accepted the replacement role, only for Aldo to pull out after sustaining injuries from a motorcycle accident.
On September 12, the UFC announced that Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva would headline the event against former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Stephan Bonnar. Silva entered as a significant favorite in a three-round main event—a departure from the typical five-round championship format due to short notice.
Following the event, it was revealed that Bonnar tested positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone, and Dave Herman tested positive for marijuana; both athletes were subsequently suspended.
Bonus awards
A $70,000 bonus was awarded to the following fighters:
- Fight of the Night: Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva
- Knockout of the Night: Rony Jason
- Submission of the Night: Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira