UFC 263
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 12, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Glendale, Arizona , United States |
Area served | United States |
UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 12, 2021, at the Gila River Arena located in Glendale, Arizona, United States.
Background
This marked the promotion's second occasion hosting an event in Glendale since April 2018. The same venue previously held the concluding World Extreme Cagefighting event in December 2010.
The headline bout was a rematch for the UFC Middleweight Championship featuring reigning champion Israel Adesanya against challenger Marvin Vettori. Their initial encounter ended with Adesanya securing victory via split decision.
The secondary main event showcased a rematch for the UFC Flyweight Championship between titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo and former contender Brandon Moreno. Their earlier fight at UFC 256 concluded in a majority draw, allowing Figueiredo to maintain his championship.
A light heavyweight matchup between Paul Craig and Jamahal Hill occurred after being postponed due to Hill testing positive for COVID-19.
A welterweight contest initially scheduled for UFC 262 between Leon Edwards and ex-lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz was shifted to this event following Diaz’s withdrawal caused by a minor injury. This bout was notable as the first non-title fight outside the main event to be set for five rounds in UFC history.
A women’s bantamweight clash between Karol Rosa and Sijara Eubanks was called off after Rosa withdrew because of an eye injury; subsequently, Eubanks was rebooked to compete at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw.
A lightweight fight featuring Frank Camacho and Matt Frevola, delayed from June 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, was rescheduled here. However, Camacho pulled out days before the event following a car accident, leading Frevola to face promotional debutant Terrance McKinney instead.
During weigh-ins, Steven Peterson failed to make weight by exceeding the featherweight limit by 2.5 pounds; the bout proceeded at catchweight with Peterson penalized 20% of his purse, which was awarded to his opponent Chase Hooper.
Bonus awards
A $50,000 bonus was awarded to fighters as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Brad Riddell vs. Drew Dober
- Performance of the Night: Brandon Moreno and Paul Craig
Reported payout
The Arizona Department of Gaming reported total fighter payouts amounting to $3,233,000. These figures do not account for sponsorship earnings or traditional UFC "fight night" bonuses.
- Israel Adesanya: $500,000 defeated Marvin Vettori: $350,000
- Brandon Moreno: $200,000 (including a $100K win bonus) defeated Deiveson Figueiredo: $210,000
- Leon Edwards: $220,000 (including a $110K win bonus) defeated Nate Diaz: $250,000
- Belal Muhammad: $160,000 (including an $80K win bonus) defeated Demian Maia: $175,000
- Paul Craig: $110,000 (including a $55K win bonus) defeated Jamahal Hill: $28,000
- Brad Riddell: $80,000 (including a $40K win bonus) defeated Drew Dober: $87,000
- Eryk Anders: $150,000 (including a $75K win bonus) defeated Darren Stewart: $45,000
- Lauren Murphy: $140,000 (including a $70K win bonus) defeated Joanne Calderwood: $51,000
- Movsar Evloev: $72,000 (including a $36K win bonus) defeated Hakeem Dawodu: $55,000
- Pannie Kianzad: $56,000 (including a $28K win bonus) defeated Alexis Davis: $43,000
- Terrance McKinney: $24,000 (including a $12K win bonus) defeated Matt Frevola: $23,000
- Steven Peterson: $46,000 (including a $23K win bonus; fined 20% for missing weight) defeated Chase Hooper: $37,000
- Farès Ziam: $28,000 (including a $14K win bonus) defeated Luigi Vendramini: $15,000
- Carlos Felipe: $50,000 (including a $25K win bonus) defeated Jake Collier: $28,000
Records established
This card set a new UFC milestone by featuring 11 bouts decided by judges, breaking the previous record of five decisions seen at UFC 169 and UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi. Additionally, it stands as the lengthiest UFC event to date, with a total fight duration of 3 hours, 19 minutes, and 32 seconds.