UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | October 4, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates |
Area served | International |
UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana—also referred to as UFC on ESPN 16 and UFC Fight Island 4'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 4, 2020, at the du Forum located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
Conducted without an audience, the event was timed to coincide with North American prime time television, resulting in the main card commencing at 6:30 am local time in Abu Dhabi.
The main event showcased a women's bantamweight clash between former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm and Irene Aldana. This matchup was initially slated for UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan but was postponed after Aldana received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
In the heavyweight category, Ben Sosoli withdrew due to eye surgery, prompting Carlos Felipe to step in as his replacement against Yorgan De Castro.
A women's bantamweight rematch featuring former UFC Women's Flyweight Champion Nicco Montaño against Julia Avila experienced several postponements attributed to COVID-19 infections and travel limitations, ultimately leading to its removal from this card.
The light heavyweight contest between ex-title challengers Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira was rescheduled multiple times following positive COVID-19 tests for both fighters.
Charles Oliveira pulled out of a lightweight bout with Beneil Dariush for undisclosed reasons, resulting in the fight's cancellation.
The bantamweight encounter between Casey Kenney and Alateng Heili was transferred from UFC 253 to this event without a public explanation.
Danaa Batgerel had to withdraw due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions imposed in Mongolia; newcomer Cameron Else replaced him against Kyler Phillips.
A heavyweight bout featuring former champion Andrei Arlovski versus Tanner Boser was postponed to a subsequent event owing to Arlovski's illness.
Initially scheduled middleweight bout between Tom Breese and Roman Kopylov saw Kopylov replaced by KB Bhullar; their fight occurred one week later at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen.
Bonus awards
Four competitors received $50,000 bonuses for outstanding performances:
- Performance of the Night: Germaine de Randamie, Kyler Phillips, Duško Todorović, and Luigi Vendramini
No Fight of the Night bonus was granted.