UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić—also referred to as UFC on ESPN 36 and UFC Vegas 54—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 14, 2022. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The main event featured a light heavyweight clash between former champions Jan Błachowicz, who held titles in both KSW and UFC Light Heavyweight divisions, and Aleksandar Rakić. This fight was previously arranged but postponed because of an injury sustained by Błachowicz.
A women's flyweight contest initially set to include former Strikeforce and UFC Women's Bantamweight titleholder Miesha Tate against ex-Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Lauren Murphy was rescheduled to occur at UFC 276.
The light heavyweight matchup between Ryan Spann and Ion Cuțelaba took place after being delayed earlier due to an injury.
Flyweights Jake Hadley and Allan Nascimento faced each other following a prior cancellation caused by Hadley’s injury.
Bantamweights Louis Smolka and Davey Grant finally competed at this event after their originally scheduled bout was canceled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lightweight fight between Michael Johnson and Alan Patrick was moved from UFC 274 to this card.
A featherweight contest between Daniel Pineda and Jamall Emmers was removed from the lineup for undisclosed reasons.
Flyweights Tatsuro Taira and Carlos Candelario, whose initial meeting at UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Vera was called off due to illness, were rebooked for this event.
Bonus awards
The following athletes received $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Katlyn Chookagian vs. Amanda Ribas
- Performance of the Night: Ryan Spann and Manuel Torres