UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba
| Company type | Event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | November 19, 2022 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (via broadcast) |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba—also referred to as UFC Fight Night 215, UFC on ESPN+ 73, and UFC Vegas 65—was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2022, held at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The event was initially set to be headlined by a heavyweight clash featuring former UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Derrick Lewis against Sergey Spivak. Unfortunately, Lewis withdrew during the event due to an illness not related to COVID-19 or weight cutting, resulting in the cancellation of their fight. As a result, the light heavyweight co-main event between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cuțelaba was elevated to main event status approximately one hour prior to the start of the main card.
In a bantamweight matchup, Jack Shore was scheduled to compete against Kyler Phillips, but Shore's withdrawal due to a severe knee injury led to Phillips being removed from the lineup.
A light heavyweight contest between William Knight and Marcin Prachnio was also on the card but was called off one week before the event for undisclosed reasons.
Additionally, a middleweight bout featuring Rodolfo Vieira versus Cody Brundage was planned but later canceled after Vieira withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
Vince Morales was slated to face José Johnson in a bantamweight bout; however, Johnson pulled out and was replaced by former LFA Bantamweight Champion Miles Johns.
Bonus awards
Four competitors were each awarded $50,000 bonuses for their performances:
- Performance of the Night: Kennedy Nzechukwu, Muslim Salikhov, Jack Della Maddalena, and Natália Silva
- No bonus for Fight of the Night was granted.