UFC 173
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | May 24, 2014 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Global (via broadcast) |
UFC 173: Barão vs. Dillashaw took place on May 24, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, showcasing a mixed martial arts event.
Background
Originally, the event was set to be headlined by a UFC Middleweight Championship clash featuring reigning champion Chris Weidman against leading contender Vitor Belfort. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission's prohibition of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), which Belfort utilized, led to his withdrawal due to complications with licensing.
Lyoto Machida, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, was then announced as Belfort’s replacement to face Weidman. Unfortunately, Weidman sustained a knee injury that caused their bout to be postponed until UFC 175 in July.
Attention then shifted to the Bantamweight Championship fight between Renan Barão and Raphael Assunção as the prospective main event. After Assunção pulled out because of a rib injury, Barão was matched against T.J. Dillashaw. Consequently, Dillashaw’s original opponent, Takeya Mizugaki, was rebooked to compete against Francisco Rivera.
The planned co-main event featuring Junior dos Santos versus Stipe Miocic was rescheduled for The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale. To enhance UFC 173’s lineup, the bout between Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier was advanced from UFC 175 to serve as the co-headliner.
A proposed coaches’ fight between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva was briefly associated with UFC 173 but faced multiple rescheduling before ultimately being canceled.
Additional card modifications included Yves Edwards vs. Piotr Hallmann being transferred to UFC Fight Night 42; Kyung Ho Kang withdrawing and replaced by Chico Camus in a matchup against Chris Holdsworth; Doo Ho Choi’s debut against Sam Sicilia being canceled due to injury and substituted with newcomer Aaron Phillips; and Danny Mitchell pulling out of his fight with Li Jingliang, with TUF alum David Michaud stepping in as his replacement.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Renan Barão vs. T.J. Dillashaw
- Performance of the Night: T.J. Dillashaw and Mitch Clarke
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter payouts submitted to the Nevada State Athletic Commission do not include sponsorship earnings or UFC "fight night" bonuses:
- T.J. Dillashaw: $36,000 (including an $18,000 victory bonus) defeated Renan Barão: $74,000
- Daniel Cormier: $170,000 (with an $85,000 win bonus) defeated Dan Henderson: $100,000
- Robbie Lawler: $200,000 (including a $100,000 win bonus) defeated Jake Ellenberger: $68,000
- Takeya Mizugaki: $58,000 (including a $29,000 victory bonus) defeated Francisco Rivera: $15,000
- James Krause: $20,000 (with a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Jamie Varner: $17,000
- Michael Chiesa: $40,000 (including a $20,000 win bonus) defeated Francisco Trinaldo: $12,000
- Tony Ferguson: $40,000 (including a $20,000 victory bonus) defeated Katsunori Kikuno: $10,000
- Chris Holdsworth: $30,000 (with a $15,000 win bonus) defeated Chico Camus: $12,000
- Mitch Clarke: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Al Iaquinta: $14,000
- Vinc Pichel: $16,000 (with an $8,000 win bonus) defeated Anthony Njokuani: $20,000
- Sam Sicilia: $20,000 (including a $10,000 victory bonus) defeated Aaron Phillips: $8,000
- Li Jingliang: $16,000 (with a $10,000 win bonus) defeated David Michaud: $8,000