UFC 226
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | July 7, 2018 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier was a mixed martial arts event hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area.
Background
Taking place during UFC's International Fight Week, the event featured a headline bout for the UFC Heavyweight Championship between the reigning titleholder Stipe Miocic and the current Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier. Both fighters also acted as head coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated. A victory by Cormier would have made him the second competitor in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championship belts and the fifth to claim titles across multiple weight classes. This event represented the third occasion where reigning champions from distinct divisions competed for a single title within the UFC.
A scheduled UFC Featherweight Championship contest between champion Max Holloway and challenger Brian Ortega was canceled after Holloway withdrew days before the fight due to concussion-related symptoms, which also led to Ortega’s removal from the lineup.
Additional key matchups included the postponed fight between Gökhan Saki and Khalil Rountree Jr., initially slated for UFC 219 but delayed because of Saki’s injury. Also featured was the bout between Paulo Costa and Uriah Hall, originally arranged for UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee but rescheduled following Costa’s arm injury.
Michael Chiesa, winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Live lightweight season, was matched against former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Their encounter had been deferred from UFC 223 after Chiesa suffered injuries related to an altercation involving Conor McGregor's entourage.
Yancy Medeiros pulled out of his fight against Mike Perry due to a rib injury and was replaced by Paul Felder.
At the official weigh-ins, Chiesa exceeded the lightweight non-title limit by 1.5 pounds; consequently, their fight proceeded at catchweight with Chiesa forfeiting 30% of his purse as a penalty.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were granted as follows:
- Performance of the Night: Daniel Cormier, Anthony Pettis, Khalil Rountree Jr. and Paulo Costa
- Fight of the Night: No award given
Reported payout
The total disclosed fighter payroll reported to the Nevada Athletic Commission amounted to $2,737,000, excluding sponsorship earnings and UFC "fight night" bonuses.
- Daniel Cormier: $500,000 defeated Stipe Miocic: $750,000
- Derrick Lewis: $260,000 (including $130,000 win bonus) defeated Francis Ngannou: $100,000
- Mike Perry: $80,000 (with $40,000 win bonus) defeated Paul Felder: $46,000
- Anthony Pettis: $289,400 (including $135,000 win bonus) defeated Michael Chiesa: $25,600*
- Khalil Rountree Jr.: $38,000 (with $19,000 win bonus) defeated Gokhan Saki: $85,000
- Paulo Costa: $110,000 (including $55,000 win bonus) defeated Uriah Hall: $48,000
- Raphael Assunção: $130,000 (with $60,000 win bonus) defeated Rob Font: $33,000
- Drakkar Klose: $44,000 (including $22,000 win bonus) defeated Lando Vannata: $25,000
- Curtis Millender: $30,000 (with $15,000 win bonus) defeated Max Griffin: $20,000
- Dan Hooker: $60,000 (including $30,000 win bonus) defeated Gilbert Burns: $31,000
- Emily Whitmire: $20,000 (with $10,000 win bonus) defeated Jamie Moyle: $12,000
^ Michael Chiesa incurred a fine of $11,400 (30% of his purse) for failing to make weight; this sum was awarded to Pettis.