UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | May 22, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt—also referred to as UFC Fight Night 188, UFC on ESPN+ 46, and UFC Vegas 27—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 22, 2021. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
Background
The headline bout showcased a bantamweight clash between former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt and challenger Rob Font.
The matchup between Ricardo Ramos and Bill Algeo was rescheduled to this card after Ramos had previously tested positive for COVID-19 approximately five weeks prior.
Due to injury, Denys Bondar withdrew from his flyweight contest against Victor Rodriguez, with Bruno Gustavo da Silva stepping in as his replacement.
In a women's featherweight fight, promotional newcomer Danyelle Wolf was forced out due to injury and replaced by Norma Dumont, who faced former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion and UFC title contender Felicia Spencer.
A heavyweight encounter featuring Rodrigo Nascimento and Alan Baudot was postponed following Baudot’s injury, moving the bout to a future event.
Originally set for UFC 262, the middleweight fight between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan was delayed because of COVID-19 issues within Hermansson's camp and was rescheduled for this event.
The bout between Ben Rothwell and Philipe Lins experienced multiple cancellations before being booked here; however, Lins withdrew once more. Newcomer Askar Mozharov was initially named as a replacement but later pulled out due to visa complications. Ultimately, promotional debutant Chris Barnett accepted the fight.
A women’s bantamweight match planned between Stephanie Egger and Sarah Alpar was canceled after Egger's withdrawal and subsequent visa problems prevented replacement Lupita Godinez from competing.
On the day before the event, flyweight Raulian Paiva pulled out from his scheduled fight against David Dvořák due to complications related to weight cutting. Juancamilo Ronderos, a newcomer, stepped in but failed to make weight, resulting in a catchweight bout with an associated penalty.
A lightweight contest between Yancy Medeiros and Damir Hadžović was removed from the card just hours before it began due to health concerns affecting Hadžović.
During the broadcast, UFC lightweight contender and color commentator Paul Felder publicly announced his retirement from professional MMA competition.
Bonus awards
The following athletes were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Jared Vanderaa vs. Justin Tafa
- Performance of the Night: Carla Esparza and Bruno Gustavo da Silva