UFC 216
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | October 7, 2017 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Las Vegas metropolitan area |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC 216: Ferguson vs. Lee was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking place on October 7, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas metropolitan region.
Background
Originally, the headline was set to feature a UFC Heavyweight Championship clash between the reigning champion Stipe Miocic and former two-time titleholder Cain Velasquez, but this bout did not come to fruition. Instead, the promotion arranged an interim UFC Lightweight Championship main event between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee.
The event also included a rescheduled UFC Flyweight Championship fight where champion Demetrious Johnson defended his title against Ray Borg. Borg had previously withdrawn from UFC 215 due to an illness unrelated to weight cutting. Johnson was pursuing a record-breaking eleventh consecutive title defense.
Abel Trujillo withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was substituted by Bobby Green in his matchup against Lando Vannata. A women's contest between Paige VanZant and Jessica Eye was canceled after VanZant pulled out due to a back injury.
Late additions to the card included promotional newcomers Andrea Lee and Kalindra Faria. However, Lee was removed from the lineup for failing to meet USADA testing protocols linked to a prior drug test failure, with newcomer Mara Romero Borella stepping in as her replacement.
A lightweight bout featuring Nik Lentz and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Will Brooks was called off during weigh-ins after Lentz experienced medical issues.
On the day of the event, a heavyweight fight between former champion Fabrício Werdum and Derrick Lewis was canceled when Lewis withdrew due to back pain. Walt Harris, who had been scheduled to face Mark Godbeer, replaced Lewis on short notice to face Werdum.
Bonus awards
The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Lando Vannata vs. Bobby Green
- Performance of the Night: Demetrious Johnson and John Moraga
Reported payout
According to disclosures made to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, total fighter payouts amounted to $2,178,000. These amounts do not include sponsorship earnings or UFC "fight night" bonuses.
- Tony Ferguson: $500,000 (including a $250,000 win bonus) defeated Kevin Lee: $250,000
- Demetrious Johnson: $370,000 (no win bonus) defeated Ray Borg: $100,000
- Fabrício Werdum: $400,000 (including a $125,000 win bonus) defeated Walt Harris: $28,000
- Mara Romero Borella: $24,000 (including a $12,000 win bonus) defeated Kalindra Faria: $12,000
- Beneil Dariush: $48,000 fought to a draw with Evan Dunham: $40,000
- Cody Stamann: $24,000 (including a $12,000 win bonus) defeated Tom Duquesnoy: $23,000
- Lando Vannata: $25,000 fought to a draw with Bobby Green: $24,000
- Poliana Botelho: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Pearl Gonzalez: $10,000
- Matt Schnell: $20,000 (including a $10,000 win bonus) defeated Marco Beltrán: $14,000
- John Moraga: $68,000 (including a $34,000 win bonus) defeated Magomed Bibulatov: $17,000
- Brad Tavares: $74,000 (including a $37,000 win bonus) defeated Thales Leites: $57,000
Mark Godbeer received both his show money and win bonus despite being removed from his scheduled fight on the day of the event.
Records established
Johnson's victory allowed him to break Anderson Silva's previous mark for the highest number of successive title defenses, achieving 11 in a row.