UFC 222
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | March 3, 2018 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which took place on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Background
Initially, the event was set to be headlined by a UFC Featherweight Championship clash featuring the reigning titleholder Max Holloway against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. This matchup had been postponed from UFC 218 after Edgar had to withdraw due to an eye injury. Subsequently, Holloway also pulled out on February 3 because of a leg injury, resulting in the cancellation of this fight.
Following this, the UFC attempted to arrange a bantamweight title rematch between current champion T.J. Dillashaw and ex-champion Cody Garbrandt, who previously faced off at UFC 217. However, Dillashaw declined the offer citing personal matters, insufficient preparation time, and intentions to pursue a bout against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
On February 7, it was officially announced that the main event would feature a women's featherweight title fight between the defending champion Cris Cyborg, who previously held titles in Strikeforce and Invicta FC, and former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Yana Kunitskaya. Despite the changes, Edgar remained on the fight card to compete against Brian Ortega in the co-main event.
A bantamweight contest between former flyweight title contender and TUF winner John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz was rescheduled for UFC 222 after being canceled at an earlier event due to Munhoz failing to make weight.
Bobby Green was originally booked to face Beneil Dariush, but withdrew on February 14 because of injury; he was subsequently replaced by promotional newcomer Alexander Hernandez.
UFC 222 made history by featuring five split decision results—the highest number ever recorded in a single UFC event until that record was equaled by UFC 274 in May 2022.
Results
Bonus awards
A $50,000 bonus was awarded to fighters who delivered exceptional performances:
- Fight of the Night: Sean O'Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
- Performance of the Night: Brian Ortega and Alexander Hernandez
Reported payout
The total disclosed fighter compensation reached $2,103,000, not including sponsorship deals or UFC "fight night" bonuses:
- Cris Cyborg: $500,000 defeated Yana Kunitskaya: $100,000
- Brian Ortega: $200,000 defeated Frankie Edgar: $195,000
- Sean O'Malley: $44,000 defeated Andre Soukhamthath: $19,000
- Andrei Arlovski: $275,000 defeated Stefan Struve: $77,000
- Ketlen Vieira: $60,000 defeated Cat Zingano: $35,000
- Mackenzie Dern: $50,000 defeated Ashley Yoder: $12,000
- Alexander Hernandez: $26,000 defeated Beneil Dariush: $48,000
- John Dodson: $82,000 defeated Pedro Munhoz: $34,000
- C.B. Dollaway: $92,000 defeated Hector Lombard: $62,000
- Zak Ottow: $36,000 defeated Mike Pyle: $55,000
- Cody Stamann: $40,000 defeated Bryan Caraway: $21,000
- Jordan Johnson: $28,000 defeated Adam Milstead: $12,000