UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 22, 2023 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes—also identified as UFC Fight Night 222, UFC on ESPN+ 80, and UFC Vegas 71'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 22, 2023. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area.
Background
The main event featured a heavyweight clash between Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes.
Initially planned for the previous week's UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. Allen, the bantamweight matchup between Danaa Batgerel and Brady Hiestand was rescheduled to this card for undisclosed reasons.
A women’s strawweight contest was set between Iasmin Lucindo and Melissa Martinez; however, Martinez withdrew and was substituted by Brogan Walker-Sanchez.
A flyweight bout involving Rafael Estevam and Carlos Candelario was anticipated, but Candelario pulled out due to injury. Consequently, Estevam was reassigned to face Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC 288.
The bantamweight pairing of Song Yadong versus former LFA Bantamweight Champion Ricky Simón was deferred to headline UFC Fight Night 223 after the cancellation of that event’s original main fight.
During weigh-ins, both Priscila Cachoeira and William Gomis failed to make weight. Cachoeira tipped the scales at 130 pounds, exceeding the women’s flyweight limit by four pounds, which led to the cancellation of her bout against Karine Silva. Gomis weighed in at 147 pounds, one pound above the featherweight threshold; his fight proceeded as a catchweight contest with a monetary penalty deducted from his earnings.
Bonus awards
Four competitors were granted $50,000 bonuses:
- Performance of the Night: Sergei Pavlovich, Bruno Silva, Christos Giagos, and Montel Jackson
- Fight of the Night: Not presented.