UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis

UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis (also known as UFC Fight Night 185, UFC on ESPN+ 43 and UFC Vegas 19) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 20, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.[2]

UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis
The poster for UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateFebruary 20, 2021 (2021-02-20)
VenueUFC Apex
CityEnterprise, Nevada, United States
AttendanceNone (behind closed doors)[1]
Event chronology
UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane

Background

A heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and former UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger Derrick Lewis headlined this event.[3] They were initially scheduled to serve as the headliner for UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark in November, but the contest was scrapped due to Blaydes testing positive for COVID-19.[4]

A women's bantamweight bout between Ketlen Vieira and former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion and UFC Women's Featherweight Championship challenger Yana Kunitskaya took place at this event.[5] They were initially scheduled to meet at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan in August 2020, but then moved to UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik a week later.[6] In turn, Vieira had to pull out due to visa issues.[7]

A heavyweight bout between Sergey Spivak and Jared Vanderaa was initially scheduled to take place at UFC 256, but Vanderaa tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw from the event.[8] The pairing was then rescheduled for this event.[9]

A bantamweight bout between Aiemann Zahabi and Drako Rodriguez took place at the event.[10] The pairing was previously scheduled to take place in December of 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal, but it was scrapped in the days leading up to that event after Zahabi tested positive for COVID-19.[11]

A middleweight bout between Phil Hawes and Nassourdine Imavov originally expected to take place at UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar, but was scrapped due to undisclosed reasons just a few hours before the event.[12] They met at this event.[13]

A featherweight bout between Michael Trizano and Rafael Alves was scheduled for the event.[14] However on February 9, news surfaced that Trizano was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an ankle injury.[15] He was replaced by promotional newcomer Pat Sabatini.[16]

Jai Herbert was expected to face Drakkar Klose in a lightweight bout at this event.[17] However, Hebert pulled out in the weeks leading up to the event and was replaced by Luis Peña.[18] A few hours before the event, the bout was canceled after one of Klose's cornermen tested positive for COVID-19.[19]

At the weigh-ins, Ketlen Vieira, Jared Gordon, Drako Rodriguez and Rafael Alves missed weight for their respective bouts. Vieira weighed in at 138 pounds, two pounds over the women's bantamweight non-title fight limit. Gordon weighed in at 150 pounds, four pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. Rodriguez weighed in at 140.5 pounds, four and a half pounds over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. All of their bouts proceeded at catchweight and Vieira was fined 20% of her individual purse, while Gordon and Rodriguez were fined 30% each, which went to their opponents Yana Kunitskaya, Danny Chavez and Aiemann Zahabi respectively.[20] Alves weighed in at 157.5 pounds, eleven and a half pounds over the featherweight non-title limit, marking the heaviest weight-miss in UFC history. His bout against Pat Sabatini was canceled as a result of it.[21]

A featherweight bout between Chas Skelly and Jamall Emmers was expected to place at the event.[22] However, the bout was canceled moments before it was expected to begin as Emmers suffered back spasms backstage rendering him unable to compete.[23]

Results
Main card (ESPN+)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Heavyweight Derrick Lewis def. Curtis Blaydes KO (punch) 2 1:26
Catchweight (138 lb) Yana Kunitskaya def. Ketlen Vieira Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Featherweight Darrick Minner def. Charles Rosa Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–27, 29–27) 3 5:00
Heavyweight Chris Daukaus def. Aleksei Oleinik TKO (punches) 1 1:55
Middleweight Phil Hawes def. Nassourdine Imavov Decision (majority) (28–28, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Heavyweight Tom Aspinall def. Andrei Arlovski Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 1:09
Preliminary card (ESPN+)
Catchweight (150 lb) Jared Gordon def. Danny Chavez Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00
Bantamweight John Castañeda def. Eddie Wineland TKO (punches) 1 4:44
Featherweight Julian Erosa def. Nate Landwehr TKO (flying knee) 1 0:56
Women's Flyweight Casey O'Neill def. Shana Dobson TKO (punches) 2 3:41
Catchweight (140.5 lb) Aiemann Zahabi def. Drako Rodriguez KO (punch) 1 3:05
Heavyweight Sergey Spivak def. Jared Vanderaa TKO (punches) 2 4:32

    [24]

    Bonus awards

    The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[25]

    • Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded.
    • Performance of the Night: Derrick Lewis, Chris Daukaus, Tom Aspinall and Aiemann Zahabi

    See also

    References
    1. Kevin Webb (2021-02-19). "How to watch UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis this Saturday on ESPN+". businessinsider.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
    2. Shane Acedera (2021-01-13). "NSAC approves four UFC events for February 2021". thesportsgeek.com. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
    3. Ariel Helwani (2021-01-04). "Curtis Blaydes-Derrick Lewis fight now set to headline UFC Fight Night on Feb. 20, sources say". espn.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
    4. Staff (2020-11-27). "Curtis Blaydes tests positive for COVID-19, UFC on ESPN 18 main event scrapped". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
    5. Farah Hannoun (2020-11-16). "Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya rebooked for UFC Fight Night on Feb. 20". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
    6. Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-07-15). "UFC shifts Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya to Aug. 8 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
    7. Lenny March (2020-07-30). "Ketlen Viera OUT, Yana Kunitskaya will now face Julija Stoliarenko at UFC's August 8th event". mymmanews.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
    8. Alexander K. Lee (2020-12-10). "Sergey Spivak vs. Jared Vanderaa removed from UFC 256 due to positive COVID-19 test". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
    9. Mike Heck (2021-01-04). "Sergey Spivak vs. Jared Vanderaa rebooked for UFC event on Feb. 20". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
    10. Sergio Pineiro (2021-01-20). "Aiemann Zahabi and Drako Rodriguez rebooked for February 20". bloodycanvas.net. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
    11. Nolan King (2020-12-17). "Aiemann Zahabi announces removal from UFC Fight Night 183 due to COVID-19". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
    12. Staff (2021-01-16). "UFC on ABC 1: Phil Hawes vs. Nassourdine Imavov bout scratched from preliminary card". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
    13. Damon Martin and Mike Heck (2021-01-20). "Phil Hawes vs. Nassourdine Imavov rescheduled for UFC event on Feb. 20". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
    14. Mike Heck and Guilherme Cruz (2021-01-05). "TUF 27 winner Mike Trizano returns to face Rafael Alves at UFC event on Feb. 20". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
    15. Guilherme Cruz (2021-02-09). "Mike Trizano suffers ankle injury, pulled from UFC Vegas 19 fight with Rafael Alves". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
    16. Farah Hannoun and John Morgan (2021-02-12). "CFFC champion Pat Sabatini steps in to face Rafael Alves at UFC Fight Night 185". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
    17. Simon Head and Farah Hannoun (2020-12-12). "Jai Herbert vs. Drakkar Klose added to UFC Fight Night card for Feb. 20". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
    18. Mike Heck (2021-02-10). "With Jai Herbert out, Drakkar Klose now expected to meet Luis Pena at UFC Vegas 19". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
    19. Jose Youngs (2021-02-20). "Drakkar Klose vs. Luis Peña pulled from UFC Vegas 19 due to positive COVID-19 test". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
    20. Staff (2021-02-19). "UFC Fight Night 185 weigh-in results: Four misses, one fight scrapped". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
    21. Danny Segura (2021-02-19). "Rafael Alves comes in 11.5 pounds heavy for all-time UFC weight miss; fight scrapped". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
    22. Nolan King (2020-12-14). "Chas Skelly vs. Jamall Emmers in the works for UFC event on Feb. 20". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
    23. Nolan King (2021-02-20). "Jamall Emmers back spasms force UFC Fight Night 185 bout canceled as Chas Skelly stands in cage". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
    24. "UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
    25. Staff (2021-02-21). "UFC Fight Night 185 bonuses: Derrick Lewis earns extra $50,000 after brutal knockout". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
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