UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 6, 2015 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana , United States |
UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson (also known as UFC Fight Night 68) was held on June 6, 2015, at the Smoothie King Center located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Background
The event was initially set to be headlined by a light heavyweight clash featuring leading contenders Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader. However, after Jon Jones was involved in a hit-and-run incident resulting in an indefinite suspension, he was stripped of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Consequently, Cormier was reassigned to UFC 187 to compete for the now-vacant title. This development promoted a middleweight matchup between Tim Boetsch and seasoned MMA fighter Dan Henderson to the main event slot, with Bader being removed from the lineup.
A bantamweight contest between Joe Soto and Anthony Birchak, originally planned for UFC 177 but postponed due to Soto stepping in for an emergency title fight, was rescheduled to take place at this event.
Several injuries led to alterations in the fight card: Alan Jouban withdrew because of injury and was replaced by Omari Akhmedov against Brian Ebersole. Similarly, Zubaira Tukhugov pulled out due to injury and Brian Ortega stepped in to face Thiago Tavares. Additionally, an injury forced Daniel Sarafian out of his bout, with Jake Collier taking his place against Ricardo Abreu.
During the weigh-ins, both Yancy Medeiros (weighing 159.5 lb) and Leonardo Morales (140 lb) failed to make weight; Medeiros chose not to attempt further weight reduction while Morales missed again on a second attempt (137 lb). Each fighter was fined 20% of their fight purse, which was awarded to their respective opponents.
This event tied the UFC record by featuring seven stoppages in the first round.
Bonus awards
A $50,000 bonus was awarded to fighters for exceptional performances:
- Fight of the Night: Brian Ortega vs. Thiago Tavares
- Performance of the Night: Dustin Poirier and Shawn Jordan