UFC 226

Miocic (left) holds the UFC heavyweight record of title defenses (3), while Cormier (right) has the same amount of light heavyweight defenses and a 13–0 record competing at heavyweight.

The event took place during the UFC's annual International Fight Week.[3]

A UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Stipe Miocic and current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier headlined the event. They also served as the head coaches of The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated.[4] If successful, Cormier would become only the second fighter to be champion in two divisions simultaneously (after Conor McGregor who won the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205 when he was the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion) as well as the fifth overall to win a title in different divisions.[4] This was the third time in UFC history that champions in different divisions fought for the same title, following UFC 94 and UFC 205.

A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between current champion Max Holloway and Brian Ortega was expected to take place at the event.[5] However, on July 4, Holloway was pulled from the fight due to "concussion like symptoms".[6] As a result, Ortega was removed from the card as well.[7]

Gökhan Saki was expected to face Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 219. However, Saki pulled out of the fight citing a leg injury.[8] The pairing eventually took place at this event.[9]

Paulo Costa was scheduled to face Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee. However, Costa pulled out of the fight in mid-March with an arm injury.[10] In turn, promotion officials elected to pull Hall from that event entirely and rescheduled the pairing for this event.[11]

The Ultimate Fighter: Live lightweight winner Michael Chiesa was expected to face former WEC and UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 223, but was pulled from the bout due to multiple cuts from a broken window as a result of the Team SBG bus melee.[12] The bout eventually took place at this event.[13]

Yancy Medeiros was expected to face Mike Perry at the event. However, he pulled out of the fight in late-June citing a rib injury and was replaced by Paul Felder.[14][15]

At the weigh-ins, Chiesa weighed in at 157.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit of 156 pounds. His bout against Pettis was contested at catchweight and he forfeited 30 percent of his purse.[16]

[17]

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses:[18]

• Fight of the Night: None awarded
• Performance of the Night: Daniel Cormier, Anthony Pettis, Khalil Rountree Jr. and Paulo Costa

The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money and also does not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses. The total disclosed payout for the event was $2,737,000.[19]

• Daniel Cormier: $500,000 def. Stipe Miocic: $750,000
• Derrick Lewis: $260,000 (includes $130,000 win bonus) def. Francis Ngannou: $100,000
• Mike Perry: $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus) def. Paul Felder: $46,000
• Anthony Pettis: $289,400 ($135,000 win bonus) def. Michael Chiesa: $25,600*
• Khalil Rountree Jr.: $38,000 ($19,000 win bonus) def. Gokhan Saki: $85,000
• Paulo Costa: $110,000 ($55,000 win bonus) def. Uriah Hall: $48,000
• Raphael Assunção: $130,000 ($60,000 win bonus) def. Rob Font: $33,000
• Drakkar Klose: $44,000 ($22,000 win bonus) def. Lando Vannata: $25,000
• Curtis Millender: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus) def. Max Griffin: $20,000
• Daniel Hooker: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus) def. Gilbert Burns: $31,000
• Emily Whitmire: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Jamie Moyle: $12,000

^ Chiesa was fined $11,400, 30 percent of his purse for failing to make the required weight for his fight with Anthony Pettis. That money was issued to Pettis, an NSAC official confirmed.[19]

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