UFC 231

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UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega
The poster for UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateDecember 8, 2018 (2018-12-08)
VenueScotiabank Arena
CityToronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance19,039[1]
Total gate$2,400,000[1]
Buyrate300,000[2]
Event chronology
UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2

UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 8, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[3]

Background

A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between Max Holloway and Brian Ortega served as the event headliner.[4] The fight was originally scheduled to take place at UFC 226, but Holloway pulled out due to "concussion like symptoms".[5]

In the co-headlining slot, a bout for the vacant UFC Women's Flyweight Championship between former UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship challenger Valentina Shevchenko and former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk took place. If victorious, Jędrzejczyk would become the first woman to win titles in different divisions.[6] They met previously in amateur muay thai and kickboxing, with Shevchenko winning all three encounters.[7] On October 2, the UFC announced that Shevchenko would face Sijara Eubanks at UFC 230 instead, as that event was in need of a headliner.[8] The fight between Shevchenko and Jędrzejczyk was put back together a week later though, as a fight between then UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier and Derrick Lewis wound up filling the headlining slot at UFC 230.[9]

A lightweight bout between Gilbert Burns and Olivier Aubin-Mercier was previously scheduled to take place in February 2018 at UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens. However, Burns was pulled from the pairing during the week leading up to the event after medical officials deemed that it was unsafe for Burns to cut the necessary weight for the 156-pound limit.[10] The fight has been rescheduled for this event.[11]

A middleweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 heavyweight winner Antônio Carlos Júnior and The Ultimate Fighter: Nations middleweight winner Elias Theodorou was initially scheduled to take place at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders. However, Júnior pulled out on August 28 due to injury.[12] The pairing was then rescheduled for this event.[13] In turn, on September 13, it was reported that Júnior was forced to withdraw as a surgery is required to treat the injury that caused the first cancellation of this bout.[14] On October 1, it was reported that Eryk Anders would replace him.[15]

A light heavyweight bout between Jimi Manuwa and Thiago Santos was expected to headline UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders, but the bout was scrapped due to an injury suffered by Manuwa.[16] The pairing took place at this event.[15]

A featherweight bout between Renato Moicano and Mirsad Bektić was expected to take place at the event. However, Bektić was forced out of the bout due to an undisclosed injury on November 15.[17] Moicano instead served as the backup fighter for the main event.[18]

John Makdessi was expected to face Carlos Diego Ferreira at the event. However, Makdessi pulled out of the fight on November 28 and was replaced by returning veteran Jesse Ronson.[19] However, on December 4, it was announced that Ronson was pulled from the bout after Ontario Athletics Commission officials deemed that he was too heavy to safely make the lightweight 156-pound limit.[20] He was replaced by newcomer Kyle Nelson.[21]

Results

Main Card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Featherweight Max Holloway (c) def. Brian Ortega TKO (doctor stoppage) 4 5:00 [a]
Women's Flyweight Valentina Shevchenko def. Joanna Jędrzejczyk Decision (unanimous) (49–46, 49–46, 49–46) 5 5:00 [b]
Welterweight Gunnar Nelson def. Alex Oliveira Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 4:17
Featherweight Hakeem Dawodu def. Kyle Bochniak Decision (split) (28–29, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Light Heavyweight Thiago Santos def. Jimi Manuwa KO (punch) 2 0:41
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
Women's Strawweight Nina Ansaroff def. Cláudia Gadelha Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Lightweight Gilbert Burns def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00
Women's Flyweight Jessica Eye def. Katlyn Chookagian Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) 3 5:00
Middleweight Elias Theodorou def. Eryk Anders Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) 3 5:00
Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Bantamweight Brad Katona def. Matthew Lopez Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Welterweight Dhiego Lima def. Chad Laprise KO (punch) 1 1:37
Lightweight Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Kyle Nelson TKO (punches) 2 1:23
Light Heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić def. Devin Clark TKO (punches) 1 4:05

[22]

Bonus awards

The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:[23]

  • Fight of the Night: Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega
  • Performance of the Night: Max Holloway and Thiago Santos

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Staff (2018-12-09). "UFC 231 draws announced sellout of 19,039 for $2.4 million live gate in Toronto". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-09.
  2. ^ @jedigoodman (December 20, 2018). "From WON, the current estimates for..." (Tweet). Retrieved 2023-04-06 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Staff (2018-07-08). "UFC announces rest of 2018 schedule from September through end of year". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  4. ^ Staff (2018-10-01). "Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega title fight officially back on at UFC 231 in Toronto". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  5. ^ Mike Bohn (2018-07-04). "Max Holloway out of UFC 226, hospitalized with concussion-like symptoms". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  6. ^ Brandon Wise (2018-09-20). "Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Valentina Shevchenko set for flyweight title fight at UFC 231". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  7. ^ Justin Park (2016-07-23). "Valentina Shevchenko has 3 wins over UFC champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who's now a supporter". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  8. ^ Staff (2018-10-02). "UFC 230 finally has main event: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Sijara Eubanks for vacant flyweight title". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
  9. ^ Brett Okamoto (2018-10-09). "Daniel Cormier-Derrick Lewis official; Valentina Shevchenko moved back to UFC 231". espn.com. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  10. ^ Shaun Al-Shatti (2018-02-21). "Gilbert Burns vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier scratched from UFC on FOX 28". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  11. ^ Marcel Dorff (2018-08-22). "Attempt 2: Gilbert Burns vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier at UFC 231 in Toronto" (in Dutch). mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  12. ^ Marc Raimondi (2018-08-27). "Antonio Carlos Junior out of UFC Sao Paulo fight against Elias Theodorou". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  13. ^ Gabriel Camargo (2018-08-28). "Cara de Sapato gets hurt and fights with Elias Theodorou is delayed for UFC 231" (in Portuguese). mmabrasil.com.br. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  14. ^ Danny Segura (2018-09-14). "Antonio Carlos Junior says he's out of UFC 231 bout with Elias Theodorou". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  15. ^ a b Mike Bohn (2018-10-01). "Jimi Manuwa vs. Thiago 'Marreta' Santos, Eryk Anders vs. Elias Theodorou added to UFC 231". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
  16. ^ Mookie Alexander (2018-09-16). "Jimi Manuwa injured, Eryk Anders now fights Thiago Santos in UFC Sao Paulo main event". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
  17. ^ Mike Bohn (2018-11-15). "Mirsad Bektic out of UFC 231 bout vs. Renato Moicano due to injury". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  18. ^ Staff (2018-11-28). "Renato Moicano named backup to Max Holloway-Brian Ortega title fight at UFC 231". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  19. ^ Guilherme Cruz (2018-11-28). "Jesse Ronson returns to the UFC, replaces John Makdessi vs. Diego Ferreira at UFC 231". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  20. ^ Staff (2018-12-04). "Jesse Ronson 'too heavy,' ruled out of UFC 231 bout vs. Diego Ferreira". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  21. ^ Alexander K. Lee (2018-12-05). "Diego Ferreira draws short-notice replacement Kyle Nelson for UFC 231". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  22. ^ "UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  23. ^ Staff (2018-12-09). "UFC 231 bonuses: Max Holloway earns double after dominant title defense". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-09.