UFC 221
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | February 11, 2018 |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold represented a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 11, 2018, at Perth Arena located in Perth, Australia.
Background
This event was notable as the UFC's inaugural appearance in Perth following the state government's removal of the ban on cage fighting. To align with live prime time broadcasts on the east coast of North America, the main card commenced at 11:00 a.m. local Perth time, with preliminary fights beginning approximately at 7:00 a.m.
Originally, the headlining bout was planned to be a UFC Middleweight Championship unification match featuring reigning champion Georges St-Pierre against interim titleholder Robert Whittaker. Nevertheless, St-Pierre declared an indefinite break due to ulcerative colitis and vacated the championship in December 2017. Consequently, Whittaker was elevated to undisputed champion status and was slated to defend his title against former Strikeforce and UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold.
On January 13, Whittaker withdrew because of injury concerns and was substituted by former interim title contender Yoel Romero, who then faced Rockhold for the interim middleweight championship. Prior to this adjustment, Romero had another fight scheduled.
A lightweight matchup between Jeremy Kennedy and Alexander Volkanovski was postponed to this event after Kennedy pulled out from an earlier card due to a back injury.
During weigh-ins, Romero exceeded the middleweight championship limit by 2.7 pounds, disqualifying him from winning the title even if victorious. He incurred a fine amounting to 30% of his fight purse, which was awarded to Rockhold, and the contest proceeded as a catchweight bout.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were granted to fighters:
- Fight of the Night: Jake Matthews vs. Li Jingliang
- Performance of the Night: Israel Adesanya and Jussier Formiga