UFC 260
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 27, 2021, held at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The headline bout featured a rematch for the UFC Heavyweight Championship between two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic and challenger Francis Ngannou. Their initial encounter took place at UFC 220 in January 2018, where Miocic secured a unanimous decision victory, establishing the record for the most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three successful defenses.
Originally planned as the co-main event was a UFC Featherweight Championship fight between reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski and former contender Brian Ortega. However, this matchup was canceled one week prior to the event after Volkanovski tested positive for COVID-19. The bout was subsequently rescheduled to occur at UFC 266.
In a light heavyweight contest, Johnny Walker was slated to compete against Jimmy Crute, but Walker withdrew due to a chest injury. As a result, Crute was removed from UFC 260 and later matched with Anthony Smith at UFC 261.
A heavyweight fight between ex-WSOF Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov and Marcin Tybura had been arranged but was called off following Ivanov's injury. Tybura eventually faced Walt Harris at UFC Fight Night 193.
The women's flyweight clash between Gillian Robertson and Miranda Maverick, which had been canceled at UFC 258 because of Robertson’s illness, was rescheduled for UFC 260.
A women's strawweight bout featuring veteran Randa Markos against newcomer Luana Pinheiro was removed from the UFC 260 card after Markos tested positive for COVID-19. This fight was later moved to UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka.
Former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and UFC strawweight title contender Jessica Penne was set to face Hannah Goldy, but Goldy’s positive COVID-19 test led to postponement. Their matchup was rescheduled for UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum.
A light heavyweight bout between Alonzo Menifield and William Knight, initially delayed due to Menifield's COVID-19 diagnosis, was rebooked for UFC 260. Knight withdrew because of COVID-19 protocols and was replaced by promotional newcomer Fabio Cherant. Cherant missed weight slightly; therefore, the fight proceeded at catchweight with Cherant forfeiting 20% of his purse.
UFC 260 represented the final event under the UFC’s outfitting partnership with Reebok before transitioning to Venum as the new uniform sponsor.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Vicente Luque vs. Tyron Woodley
- Performance of the Night: Francis Ngannou and Sean O'Malley