UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports |
| Founded | December 17, 2022 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland—also identified as UFC Fight Night 216, UFC on ESPN+ 74, and UFC Vegas 66'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 17, 2022. The event took place at the UFC Apex venue located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The headline bout showcased a middleweight contest between former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland. This fight was initially arranged for UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Araújo but was delayed due to Strickland suffering from a finger infection.
A middleweight clash between Bruno Silva and Albert Duraev was originally scheduled; however, Silva withdrew because of injury and was substituted by Michał Oleksiejczuk. Subsequently, Duraev also pulled out and was replaced by Cody Brundage.
Former challenger for the UFC Flyweight Championship, Alex Perez, was slated to face Amir Albazi but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. His replacement, Brandon Royval, later exited the bout due to a wrist fracture, with Alessandro Costa stepping in as the final substitute.
A light heavyweight pairing between Tafon Nchukwi and Jamal Pogues was planned; Pogues withdrew and was replaced by Vitor Petrino. Following Nchukwi’s withdrawal, this matchup was canceled altogether.
Welterweight Michael Morales was expected to compete against Rinat Fakhretdinov, but after Morales sustained a fractured toe, Bryan Battle—winner of The Return of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Volkanovski vs. Team Ortega—took his place.
A middleweight fight between Julian Marquez and Deron Winn was called off two days prior to the event after Winn experienced a minor concussion from a fall.
During weigh-ins, Hayisaer Maheshate failed to make weight for his lightweight bout against Rafa García, coming in 2.5 pounds over the limit. Their contest proceeded at catchweight, with Maheshate fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to García.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were granted as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Drew Dober vs. Bobby Green
- Performance of the Night: Alex Caceres and Michał Oleksiejczuk