UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | September 19, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (via broadcast) |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley—also identified as UFC Fight Night 178, UFC on ESPN+ 36, and UFC Vegas 11—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 19, 2020. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas metropolitan region.
Background
Initially planned for September 26, this event was rescheduled to occur one week earlier to make room for UFC 253. The promotion aimed to feature a welterweight main event showcasing former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley against former interim titleholder Colby Covington. Although this matchup had been arranged for a previous card, it was delayed due to Woodley’s recovery from injury. Ultimately, this fight served as the headline bout.
A heavyweight clash between Ciryl Gane and Shamil Abdurakhimov, which had experienced several postponements because of injuries and unspecified issues, was originally booked for this card but subsequently moved to a later UFC Fight Night event.
The flyweight contest between Jordan Espinosa and David Dvořák was transferred from UFC 253 to this card for reasons not publicly disclosed.
Welterweight Mickey Gall withdrew from his scheduled fight against Miguel Baeza due to injury and was replaced by Jeremiah Wells; however, this matchup was canceled shortly before the event without explanation.
Featherweight Luiz Eduardo Garagorri was pulled from his fight with Mirsad Bektić after one of Bektić’s cornermen tested positive for COVID-19. Damon Jackson stepped in as Bektić’s substitute opponent.
Bonus awards
The following athletes were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No award presented.
- Performance of the Night: Khamzat Chimaev, Mackenzie Dern, Damon Jackson, and Randy Costa
Aftermath
On November 4, the Nevada State Athletic Commission issued a provisional suspension for Niko Price following a positive test for carboxy THC. The suspension was later confirmed to last six months retroactive to the date of the bout. Price’s fight result was changed to a no contest. Additionally, he received an $8,500 fine and must pay a prosecution fee amounting to $145.36 prior to obtaining re-licensing in Las Vegas.