UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum
| Industry | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 11, 2017 |
| Headquarters | Fortaleza , Brazil |
UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 106, was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 2017. The event took place at the Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste located in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Background
This event represented the UFC's second occurrence in Ceará and their first there since the June 2013 UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum card. Initially designated as UFC Fight Night 107, the numbering was adjusted following the cancellation of a previously planned UFC Fight Night 106 scheduled for Las Vegas.
The headline bout featured a middleweight clash between former Light Heavyweight Champion and UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament victor Vitor Belfort and Kelvin Gastelum, winner of The Ultimate Fighter.
Several alterations affected the fight card: Ion Cuțelaba withdrew from a potential matchup with Henrique da Silva due to injury, prompting da Silva to pursue another opponent. Promotional debutant Paulo Costa stepped in to face Garreth McLellan, who replaced Alex Nicholson. Max Griffin pulled out of his contest against Sérgio Moraes citing injury and was succeeded by newcomer Davi Ramos. Furthermore, the scheduled fight between Godofredo Pepey and Kyle Bochniak was canceled after both athletes withdrew because of injuries.
Results
Bonus awards
A $50,000 bonus was awarded to select fighters:
- Fight of the Night: No award given
- Performance of the Night: Kelvin Gastelum, Edson Barboza, Michel Prazeres, Paulo Costa
Aftermath
Kelvin Gastelum was set to face former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 212 on June 3 but was withdrawn following a potential anti-doping violation identified by USADA. He tested positive for Carboxy-THC at levels exceeding World Anti-Doping Agency thresholds from samples taken on the night of this event. Gastelum was provisionally suspended pending further investigation. On May 7, his victory was changed to a no contest; he received a 90-day suspension retroactive to March 11 and was fined 20% of his fight purse.