UFC 98
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Owner | Endeavor Group Holdings |
| Website | www |
UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts spectacle presented by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on May 23, 2009, hosted at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event attracted 12,606 spectators and achieved a gate revenue totaling $3.26 million, alongside a pay-per-view purchase figure of 635,000.
Background
Initially, the headline fight was planned as a UFC Heavyweight Championship unification clash featuring Interim Champion Frank Mir against Champion Brock Lesnar. However, this bout was deferred to UFC 100 due to Mir sustaining a knee injury. Meanwhile, former Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson was scheduled to challenge the current titleholder Rashad Evans, but withdrew following arthroscopic surgery to repair jaw ligament damage. As a result, Evans defended his championship against the unbeaten contender Lyoto Machida in the main event.
The card also showcased the notable rivalry match between The Ultimate Fighter 6 coaches Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.
Several injury-related adjustments impacted the lineup: Josh Koscheck pulled out due to injury; he was replaced by Brock Larson, who was set to face Chris Wilson. However, Wilson was later substituted by Mike Pyle after failing medical clearance. James Irvin suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Xavier Foupa-Pokam in his bout against Drew McFedries.
Yushin Okami withdrew because of a torn ligament; although initially rumored to be replaced by Ed Herman, the final substitute was Chael Sonnen. Additionally, Houston Alexander exited with a broken hand, leading to Krzysztof Soszynski stepping in against Andre Gusmao.
These modifications demonstrated the UFC’s adaptive approach to preserving event integrity despite athlete injuries, ensuring continued audience interest and maintaining strong pay-per-view performance.
Bonus awards
Performance bonuses of $60,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
- Knockout of the Night: Lyoto Machida
- Submission of the Night: Brock Larson
Reported payout
- Lyoto Machida: $140,000 (including $70,000 win bonus) defeated Rashad Evans: $200,000
- Matt Hughes: $200,000 (including $100,000 win bonus) defeated Matt Serra: $75,000
- Drew McFedries: $34,000 (including $17,000 win bonus) defeated Xavier Foupa-Pokam: $6,000
- Chael Sonnen: $50,000 (including $25,000 win bonus) defeated Dan Miller: $15,000
- Frankie Edgar: $40,000 (including $20,000 win bonus) defeated Sean Sherk: $40,000
- Brock Larson: $42,000 (including $21,000 win bonus) defeated Mike Pyle: $15,000
- Tim Hague: $10,000 (including $5,000 win bonus) defeated Pat Barry: $7,000
- Kyle Bradley: $8,000 (including $4,000 win bonus) defeated Phillipe Nover: $10,000
- Krzysztof Soszynski: $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) defeated Andre Gusmao: $5,000
- Yoshiyuki Yoshida: $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) defeated Brandon Wolff: $4,000
- George Roop: $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) defeated David Kaplan: $8,000
See also
References
- Articles with short description
- Flagship events of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Mixed martial arts in 2009
- Sports in Nevada during 2009
- Ultimate Fighting Championship matches held at MGM Grand Garden Arena
- Sports events in the United States in May 2009
- Ultimate Fighting Championship events at MGM Grand Garden Arena