UFC 231
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | November 12, 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | ufc |
UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega was a mixed martial arts spectacle presented by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 8, 2018, hosted at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background
The headline contest featured the UFC Featherweight Championship clash with reigning champion Max Holloway defending his title against challenger Brian Ortega. This matchup was initially planned for UFC 226, but Holloway pulled out due to symptoms resembling a concussion.
The co-main event showcased a battle for the vacant UFC Women's Flyweight Championship between former bantamweight title contender Valentina Shevchenko and ex-strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Should Jędrzejczyk have won, she would have become the first female athlete to claim championships in multiple weight classes. This fight was briefly shifted to UFC 230 but later reinstated at UFC 231 following the scheduling of a heavyweight title bout at UFC 230.
A lightweight contest between Gilbert Burns and Olivier Aubin-Mercier, which had been canceled previously due to Burns encountering difficulties in cutting weight, was rescheduled for this event.
Middleweight competitors Antônio Carlos Júnior and Elias Theodorou were slated to compete; however, Júnior withdrew due to injury requiring surgery and was replaced by Eryk Anders.
The light heavyweight matchup involving Jimi Manuwa and Thiago Santos, postponed earlier because of Manuwa’s injury, took place during UFC 231.
Featherweight fighter Renato Moicano was set to face off against Mirsad Bektić, who withdrew due to injury. Moicano also served as a backup for the main event.
John Makdessi was scheduled to fight Carlos Diego Ferreira but withdrew, leading to veteran fighter Jesse Ronson stepping in. Ronson was subsequently removed from the card after failing to make weight, with newcomer Kyle Nelson accepting the bout on short notice.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega
- Performance of the Night: Max Holloway and Thiago Santos