UFC 208
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | February 11, 2017 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts fights |
UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 11, 2017, at the Barclays Center located in Brooklyn, New York.
Background
Initially planned for January 21 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, UFC 208 was postponed due to the absence of suitable main event contenders. The Anaheim show was later rescheduled for August 5 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the February 11 event at the Barclays Center, originally designated as UFC 209, was rebranded as UFC 208. This event marked the UFC’s debut in Brooklyn and was the fourth occasion hosting a UFC card in New York state.
The headline bout featured the first-ever UFC Women's Featherweight Championship match, pitting former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm against Germaine de Randamie. This represented the promotion’s inaugural women's featherweight contest.
A unification fight in the featherweight division between two-time champion José Aldo and interim champion Max Holloway was under consideration but ultimately did not come to fruition due to Holloway’s injury issues and scheduling factors.
The originally scheduled Anaheim lineup included flyweight matchups such as Wilson Reis versus Ulka Sasaki, and light heavyweight contests featuring former title challenger Glover Teixeira against Jimi Manuwa. At UFC 208, Teixeira faced off against Jared Cannonier, while Manuwa’s fight was moved to UFC Fight Night 107.
A rescheduled flyweight bout between Ian McCall and Neil Seery was canceled on the day of the event because of McCall’s illness. Seery had stepped in for an earlier opponent but later withdrew due to a family loss; newcomer promotional fighter Jarred Brooks replaced him prior to the cancellation.
Gilbert Burns withdrew from his scheduled fight with Paul Felder because of injury, leading to Felder’s reassignment to a different card.
A heavyweight matchup between Derrick Lewis and Travis Browne was deferred and eventually served as the main event for UFC Fight Night 105.
George Sullivan was removed from his bout with Randy Brown after a potential anti-doping violation surfaced; he was replaced by Belal Muhammad.
Heavyweight Luis Henrique pulled out from his fight against Marcin Tybura following concerns raised by the New York State Athletic Commission regarding previous eye surgery. Justin Willis, a promotional newcomer, stepped in as Henrique’s replacement but was later declared medically unfit to compete, resulting in the cancellation of that matchup.
Bonus awards
Each fighter awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Jim Miller
- Performance of the Night: Ronaldo Souza
Aftermath
On February 15, Holly Holm submitted a formal complaint and appeal to NYSAC concerning referee Todd Anderson’s failure to deduct points from Germaine de Randamie for strikes delivered after round-ending signals. The appeal was rejected thirteen days afterward.
On June 20, George Sullivan received a one-year suspension from USADA due to a second anti-doping infraction involving clomiphene citrate. Sullivan had declared use of this prescription fertility drug under medical supervision, which resulted in a reduction of his suspension from the standard two years. His period of ineligibility commenced on January 14, coinciding with the date of his positive test.