UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events and promotions |
| Owner | Endeavor Group Holdings |
| Website | www |
UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson—also referred to as UFC on ESPN 24 and UFC Vegas 26'—was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 8, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
Originally, the headline bout featured a bantamweight clash between former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen. This fight was set to mark Dillashaw's comeback following a two-year suspension due to EPO usage, which had caused him to relinquish his title. However, Dillashaw withdrew because of an injury sustained during training, leading to the bout’s postponement. Consequently, the main event was substituted with a women's flyweight contest between former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez, who typically competes at strawweight but stepped up to flyweight on short notice.
A women's bantamweight matchup between ex-champion Holly Holm and Julianna Peña was scheduled but canceled after Holm pulled out due to hydronephrosis. Peña was subsequently booked to challenge reigning champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 265.
A heavyweight fight featuring Ben Rothwell and Philipe Lins, rescheduled for this card following a previous cancellation, was called off when Lins fell ill during weigh-ins.
The welterweight encounter between Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, initially postponed due to Neal’s severe pneumonia and sepsis, proceeded as planned at this event.
Roxanne Modafferi, a former UFC Women's Flyweight title challenger, was slated to meet Taila Santos but withdrew because of a meniscus injury, resulting in the bout’s cancellation.
Jimmy Flick had been expected to face Francisco Figueiredo, but retired prior to the event. His replacement, JP Buys, also withdrew due to injury and was succeeded by Malcolm Gordon. Their matchup was postponed to a future card.
A lightweight contest between Nikolas Motta and Damir Hadžović was scheduled; however, Motta withdrew due to injury. Hadžović was later matched against Yancy Medeiros at another event.
A welterweight bout featuring former lightweight contender Diego Sanchez against fellow competitor Donald Cerrone was canceled after Sanchez’s release from the UFC. He was replaced by Alex Morono.
During weigh-ins, Carlos Diego Ferreira came in 4.5 pounds over the limit; his fight continued at catchweight with a 30% fine imposed on his purse. In contrast, Ryan Benoit weighed three pounds above the flyweight threshold; his scheduled bout with Zarrukh Adashev was scrapped due to health concerns.
A women’s strawweight contest between Amanda Ribas and former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Angela Hill was called off just hours before the event after Ribas tested positive for COVID-19.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Middleweight |Jun Yong Park |def. |Tafon Nchukwi |Decision (majority) (30–25, 29–26, 28–28) |3 |5:00 |} }
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded to fighters:[1]
- Fight of the Night: Gregor Gillespie vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
- Performance of the Night: Alex Morono and Carlston Harris
Note: Due to missing weight, Ferreira was disqualified from receiving the Fight of the Night bonus; it was instead granted solely to Gillespie.
See also
References
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