UFC 204
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | October 8, 2016 |
| Headquarters | Manchester , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | Europe, Middle East |
UFC 204: Bisping vs. Henderson 2 was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2016, hosted at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Background
This event represented the fourth occasion the UFC held a show in Manchester and was the first pay-per-view broadcast targeting the European and Middle Eastern audience since UFC 112. To align with North American prime time viewing, the main card commenced at 3:00 am local time, while preliminary fights began around 11:00 pm. Despite the unconventional timing, tickets sold out rapidly, indicating a robust fan interest in the region.
The main event featured a UFC Middleweight Championship contest between reigning champion Michael Bisping and former multi-division titleholder Dan Henderson. Their prior matchup took place at UFC 100, where Henderson secured a knockout victory.
A bantamweight matchup between Brad Pickett and Iuri Alcântara, originally scheduled for a different event, was included on the UFC 204 card.
Several alterations to the fight lineup occurred due to injuries and other issues: - Ruslan Magomedov withdrew because of a staph infection; he was replaced by Daniel Omielańczuk, who faced Stefan Struve. - Arnold Allen exited the card for undisclosed reasons; after brief involvement from Jeremy Kennedy, who also pulled out due to injury, Russell Doane stepped in to fight Mirsad Bektic. - Reza Madadi pulled out citing an eye injury and was succeeded by Łukasz Sajewski against promotional newcomer Marc Diakiese. - The bout between Ian Entwistle and Rob Font was canceled on the day before the event due to illness.
Bonus awards
A $50,000 bonus was awarded to fighters delivering exceptional performances:
- Fight of the Night: Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson
- Performance of the Night: Jimi Manuwa and Iuri Alcântara