UFC 239
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | July 6, 2019 |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (pay-per-view) |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which took place on July 6, 2019, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas metropolitan region.
Background
The main event showcased a contest for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship between two-time titleholder Jon Jones and challenger Thiago Santos. The co-main event featured the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship clash with reigning champion Amanda Nunes, who also held the UFC Women's Featherweight Championship, defending her title against former champion Holly Holm.
Originally, a heavyweight matchup between ex-title contender Francis Ngannou and former champion Junior dos Santos was planned for this card but was later rescheduled to headline UFC on ESPN 3 following changes in the UFC schedule.
The preliminary card was highlighted by a featherweight bout between former Strikeforce and WEC Lightweight Champion as well as ex-UFC Lightweight title challenger Gilbert Melendez and Arnold Allen. This fight had been postponed from November 2018 due to an injury sustained by Melendez.
Other significant bouts included a bantamweight fight featuring Alejandro Pérez (fighter), winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, versus Song Yadong. This pairing was initially set for UFC 235 but was delayed after Song withdrew.
Sean O'Malley (fighter) was slated to compete against Marlon Vera but pulled out following a positive test for the prohibited substance ostarine. The Nevada State Athletic Commission issued a suspension, although USADA did not impose additional penalties. Nohelin Hernandez replaced O'Malley after King of the Cage declined to release their fighter Drako Rodriguez.
Melissa Gatto was removed from her bout with Julia Avila for undisclosed reasons and was substituted by experienced fighter Pannie Kianzad.
UFC 239 represented the inaugural UFC pay-per-view broadcast available in the United Kingdom, with subsequent numbered events being shown on BT Sport Box Office.
Bonus awards
Each awarded fighter received $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No award granted.
- Performance of the Night: Amanda Nunes, Jorge Masvidal, Jan Błachowicz, and Song Yadong
Reported payout
The total disclosed fighter payroll reported to the Nevada Athletic Commission amounted to $3,331,000. This figure excludes sponsorship earnings and UFC's customary "fight night" bonuses.
- Jon Jones: $500,000 (no victory bonus) defeated Thiago Santos: $350,000
- Amanda Nunes: $500,000 (including a $200,000 win bonus) defeated Holly Holm: $300,000
- Jorge Masvidal: $200,000 (with a $100,000 win bonus) defeated Ben Askren: $210,000
- Jan Błachowicz: $92,000 (including $46,000 for winning) defeated Luke Rockhold: $200,000
- Michael Chiesa: $104,000 (with a $52,000 win bonus) defeated Diego Sanchez: $103,000
- Arnold Allen: $64,000 (including a $32,000 victory bonus) defeated Gilbert Melendez: $200,000
- Marlon Vera: $96,000 (with a $48,000 win bonus) defeated Nohelin Hernandez: $12,000
- Cláudia Gadelha: $102,000 (including a $52,000 win bonus) defeated Randa Markos: $30,000
- Song Yadong: $90,000 (with a $45,000 win bonus) defeated Alejandro Pérez: $42,000
- Edmen Shahbazyan: $32,000 (including a $16,000 win bonus) defeated Jack Marshman: $30,000
- Chance Recountre: $28,000 (with a $14,000 win bonus) defeated Ismail Naurdiev: $14,000
- Julia Avila: $20,000 (including a $10,000 victory bonus) defeated Pannie Kianzad: $12,000