UFC 225
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 9, 2018 |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (pay-per-view) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts fights |
UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 9, 2018, at the United Center located in Chicago, Illinois. The event attracted 18,117 spectators and achieved a gate revenue of $2.55 million, along with roughly 250,000 pay-per-view purchases.
Background
The headline bout was a rematch for the UFC Middleweight Championship featuring reigning titleholder Robert Whittaker against former interim title contender Yoel Romero, who is a 2000 Olympic silver medalist and previous world champion in freestyle wrestling. Their initial encounter took place at UFC 213 in July 2017, where Whittaker secured the interim championship through a unanimous decision.
During the official weigh-ins, Romero failed to make the middleweight championship limit by one pound and was unable to reduce his weight further despite additional time granted. Consequently, the contest proceeded as a non-title fight. As a penalty, Romero forfeited 30% of his fight purse to Whittaker.
The co-headliner featured an interim UFC Welterweight Championship matchup between former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington. Originally scheduled for UFC 224, this bout was later shifted to UFC 225.
Other alterations to the fight card included Chris de la Rocha stepping in for Allen Crowder due to undisclosed reasons, and Charles Oliveira replacing the injured Bobby Green to compete against Clay Guida.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night ($100,000): Robert Whittaker (Yoel Romero was disqualified from receiving this bonus due to missing weight).
- Performance of the Night: Curtis Blaydes and Charles Oliveira
Aftermath
On July 7, 2021, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation reversed Mike Jackson's unanimous decision victory over CM Punk to a no contest following a positive test for marijuana on the night of the fight. Jackson received a three-month suspension retroactive to the date of the bout. This ruling was not disclosed publicly until July 2021.