UFC 182
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | January 3, 2015 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (via broadcast) |
UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier took place on January 3, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The main event featured a Light Heavyweight title clash between reigning champion Jon Jones and leading challenger Daniel Cormier.
Originally, Jones was scheduled to defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch at UFC 178 on September 27, 2014. However, Gustafsson withdrew because of a knee injury and was substituted by Cormier. Subsequently, Jones also pulled out due to a leg injury, causing the bout to be postponed and rescheduled for UFC 182.
A Women's Bantamweight title fight between champion Ronda Rousey and contender Cat Zingano was initially rumored for this card but was later moved to UFC 184.
Danny Castillo was set to face Rustam Khabilov, who had to withdraw because of visa complications. His replacement was Paul Felder, who had been booked for a separate event.
At weigh-ins, Alexis Dufresne came in at 138 pounds, missing the limit and resulting in a 20% fine of her purse, which was awarded to her opponent Marion Reneau.
With a cumulative cage time of 154 minutes and 56 seconds, UFC 182 became the third longest event in UFC history.
Following the event, it emerged that Jones tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Since this substance is not prohibited out-of-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the NSAC permitted him to compete. Jones entered rehabilitation immediately after the disclosure of his test results.
On February 10, it was revealed that Héctor Lombard failed a drug screening for the anabolic steroid desoxymethyltestosterone after UFC 182. Consequently, his scheduled fight against Rory MacDonald at UFC 186 was canceled. On March 23, Lombard received a one-year suspension, a fine, and had his victory over Josh Burkman overturned to a no contest by the NSAC. He also forfeited his $53,000 win bonus along with part of his fight purse and must pass a drug test before being re-licensed.
Bonus awards
Each bonus awarded $50,000:
- Fight of the Night: Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
- Performance of the Night: Paul Felder and Shawn Jordan
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter earnings reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, excluding sponsorships and UFC "fight night" bonuses:
- Jon Jones: $500,000 (no win bonus) defeated Daniel Cormier: $90,000
- Donald Cerrone: $140,000 (including $70,000 win bonus) defeated Myles Jury: $16,000
- Brad Tavares: $50,000 (including $25,000 win bonus) defeated Nate Marquardt: $49,000
- Kyoji Horiguchi: $40,000 (including $20,000 win bonus) defeated Louis Gaudinot: $10,000
- Hector Lombard: $106,000 (including $53,000 win bonus) defeated Josh Burkman: $45,000
- Paul Felder: $20,000 (including $10,000 win bonus) defeated Danny Castillo: $36,000
- Cody Garbrandt: $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) defeated Marcus Brimage: $12,000
- Shawn Jordan: $44,000 (including $22,000 win bonus) defeated Jared Cannonier: $8,000
- Evan Dunham: $54,000 (including $27,000 win bonus) defeated Rodrigo Damm: $12,000
- Omari Akhmedov: $20,000 (including $10,000 win bonus) defeated Mats Nilsson: $8,000
- Marion Reneau: $17,600 (including $8,000 win bonus) defeated Alexis Dufresne: $6,400 ^
^ Alexis Dufresne was penalized 20% of her purse for failing to make weight; this amount was given to Reneau.