UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | March 13, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (via broadcast) |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad—also referred to as UFC Fight Night 187, UFC on ESPN+ 45, and UFC Vegas 21'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 13, 2021. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas metropolitan region.
Background
Originally, the main attraction was planned to be a welterweight clash between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, but this matchup was cancelled on three separate occasions due to COVID-19-related issues impacting both fighters. Consequently, Edwards' opponent was changed to Belal Muhammad.
A bantamweight contest initially slated between Irwin Rivera and Ray Rodriguez underwent alteration when Rivera was replaced by Rani Yahya as a result of legal complications.
The fight between Tagir Ulanbekov and Matheus Nicolau was rescheduled after Ulanbekov withdrew twice; ultimately, former Rizin FF Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape stepped in as Ulanbekov’s substitute.
A heavyweight encounter featuring Jairzinho Rozenstruik against Ciryl Gane was shifted to headline a different event after the original main event for that card was cancelled.
Guram Kutateladze was set to compete against Don Madge in a lightweight bout but pulled out due to a knee injury; Nasrat Haqparast took his place. Later, Madge withdrew because of visa complications, leading Haqparast to face promotional newcomer Rafa García instead.
Featherweight matchups included Dan Ige versus Ryan Hall, with Hall withdrawing and being replaced by Gavin Tucker; and Charles Jourdain against Steve Garcia, where Garcia was replaced by Marcelo Rojo.
A women’s strawweight rematch between former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Angela Hill and Ashley Yoder, previously postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, was rescheduled for this event.
The featherweight bout between Ricardo Ramos and Zubaira Tukhugov was cancelled after Tukhugov’s withdrawal; Ramos was subsequently removed from the lineup and planned for a future event.
A heavyweight fight between Ben Rothwell and Philipe Lins was pulled from the card shortly before the event for undisclosed reasons but is anticipated to be rescheduled at a later UFC occasion.
The bout featuring Misha Cirkunov versus Ryan Spann, initially intended for an earlier event but postponed due to injury, took place during this card.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Welterweight |Matthew Semelsberger |def. |Jason Witt |get KO (punch) |get 1 |get 0:16 |}
Bonus awards
The following competitors received $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No award given.
- Performance of the Night: Ryan Spann, Dan Ige, Davey Grant, and Matthew Semelsberger