UFC 250
UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 6, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.[2][3] It was originally planned to take place on May 9 at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil.[4] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed (see section below).[5] On April 21, the UFC confirmed that UFC 249 would be moved to May 9 and UFC 250 was pushed back to June 6.[6][7] In late May, the promotion confirmed the event would take place in Las Vegas.[3]
| UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
The poster for UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer. | ||||
| Information | ||||
| Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
| Date | June 6, 2020 | |||
| Venue | UFC Apex | |||
| City | Enterprise, Nevada, United States | |||
| Attendance | None (behind closed doors)[1] | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
A UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between the current champion Henry Cejudo (also former UFC Flyweight Champion and 2008 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling) and former WEC and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo was expected to serve as the initial event headliner.[8] However, Aldo pulled out on April 8 due to visa issues as the event was expected to be moved to the United States (see section below). Former two-time bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz replaced Aldo.[9]
A UFC Women's Featherweight Championship bout between the current champion Amanda Nunes (also the current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion) and former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Felicia Spencer was expected to serve as the co-headliner.[10] Nunes announced on April 20 that she would not compete at a new proposed event for May 9 due to her desire to have a full training camp.[11]
COVID-19 pandemic
The event was originally expected to take place at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil.[4] On April 7, it was announced that the venue will be used as a field hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic and would not be able to host the fight card.[12]
Due to the event being expected to be relocated to the United States, several changes were made due to fighters being unable to compete due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic:[13]
- A light heavyweight bout between the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Maurício Rua (also 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion) and Antônio Rogério Nogueira was cancelled. The pairing previously met at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005 and UFC 190, with Rua winning both fights.[14] The bout was later rescheduled for July 25, at UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till.[15]
- Ketlen Vieira, who was expected to face Marion Reneau in a women's bantamweight bout.
- Former title challenger Bethe Correia, who was expected to face Pannie Kianzad in a women's bantamweight bout. This fight was also rescheduled for UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till.[16]
- Augusto Sakai, who was expected to face former WSOF Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov in a heavyweight bout. This fight was later rescheduled for May 30, at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns.[17]
- Carlos Felipe, who was expected to face Sergey Spivak in a heavyweight bout. The bout was later rescheduled for July 18, at UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2.[18]
UFC president Dana White announced on April 9 that starting with UFC 249, all future events were indefinitely postponed.[19] It was confirmed that this event was cancelled on April 20, though the UFC was still targeting a new event for the same date (not expected to be the original UFC 250).[20] The UFC moved the previously mentioned UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between Cejudo and Cruz, as well as a heavyweight bout between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabrício Werdum and Aleksei Oleinik to the new UFC 249 date.[21]
On May 10, it was confirmed that UFC 250 was going to take place on June 6 in the United States, with the previously mentioned UFC Women's Featherweight Championship bout between Nunes and Spencer expected to headline the event.[2] This event also featured fighters that were pulled from other events previously cancelled.[3]
A bantamweight bout between former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt and Raphael Assunção was scheduled for Columbus, Ohio on March 28, at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik.[22] However, Garbrandt pulled out on March 12 due to kidney issues.[23] The pairing was rescheduled for this event.[24]
On June 4, Ian Heinisch was removed from his scheduled bout with Gerald Meerschaert after a cornerman tested positive for COVID-19.[25] He was then expected to be replaced by promotional newcomer Anthony Ivy.[26] However, Heinisch's cornerman was retested and cleared, allowing the original pairing to stay intact.[27]
Results
| Main card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Women's Featherweight | Amanda Nunes (c) | def. | Felicia Spencer | Decision (unanimous) (50–44, 50–44, 50–45) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Bantamweight | Cody Garbrandt | def. | Raphael Assunção | KO (punch) | 2 | 4:59 | |
| Bantamweight | Aljamain Sterling | def. | Cory Sandhagen | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 1:28 | |
| Welterweight | Neil Magny | def. | Anthony Rocco Martin | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Bantamweight | Sean O'Malley | def. | Eddie Wineland | KO (punch) | 1 | 1:54 | |
| Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Alex Caceres | def. | Chase Hooper | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Ian Heinisch | def. | Gerald Meerschaert | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:14 | |
| Featherweight | Cody Stamann | def. | Brian Kelleher | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Maki Pitolo | def. | Charles Byrd | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:10 | |
| Early Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass) | |||||||
| Flyweight | Alex Perez | def. | Jussier Formiga | TKO (leg kicks) | 1 | 4:06 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Devin Clark | def. | Alonzo Menifield | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (150 lb) | Herbert Burns | def. | Evan Dunham | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 1:20 | |
- ^ For the UFC Women's Featherweight Championship.
Bonus awards
The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[29]
- Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded.
- Performance of the Night: Cody Garbrandt, Aljamain Sterling, Sean O'Malley and Alex Perez
Reported payout
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). 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 $2,293,000.[30]
- Amanda Nunes: $500,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus) def. Felicia Spencer: $125,000
- Cody Garbrandt: $260,000 (includes $130,000 win bonus) def. Raphael Assunção: $79,000
- Aljamain Sterling: $152,000 (includes $76,000 win bonus) def. Cory Sandhagen: $80,000
- Neil Magny: $158,000 (includes $79,000 win bonus) def. Anthony Rocco Martin: $48,000
- Sean O'Malley: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Eddie Wineland: $46,000
- Alex Caceres: $116,000 (includes $58,000 win bonus) def. Chase Hooper: $27,000
- Ian Heinisch: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Gerald Meerschaert: $33,000
- Cody Stamann: $72,000 (includes $36,000 win bonus) def. Brian Kelleher: $33,000
- Maki Pitolo: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Charles Byrd: $12,000
- Alex Perez: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Jussier Formiga: $98,000
- Devin Clark: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. Alonzo Menifield: $14,000
- Herbert Burns: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Evan Dunham: $60,000
See also
References
- ^ Michael Potts (2020-06-03). "UFC 250 fight card – full list of confirmed fights including Nunes v Spencer". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ a b Farah Hannoun and Mike Bohn (2020-05-05). "Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer featherweight title fight rescheduled for June 6". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ a b c Steven Marrocco (2020-05-27). "NSAC approves UFC on ESPN 9 and UFC 250 for UFC APEX, approves new COVID-19 protocols". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ^ a b Mark La Monica (2019-12-14). "Khabib vs. Ferguson set for UFC 249 at Barclays". newsday.com. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Damon Martin (2020-04-21). "UFC 249 gets second life as May 9 event at TBA location". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ^ Mike Heck (2020-04-21). "UFC 249 pay-per-view headed to Florida on May 9". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2020-02-24). "Jose Aldo to challenge Henry Cejudo at UFC 250 in Brazil". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ Ana Hissa and Raphael Marinho (2020-04-09). "José Aldo out of UFC 250 and Ultimate expects to book Henry Cejuro against Dominick Cruz". globoesporte.globo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09. (in Portuguese)
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2020-03-05). "Amanda Nunes to defend featherweight title against Felicia Spencer at UFC 250". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (2020-04-20). "Amanda Nunes announces she won't fight at May 9 UFC event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ^ Raphael Marinho (2020-04-07). "With Ibirapuera assigned as a field hospital, UFC 250 will not be held in São Paulo". globoesporte.globo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-08. (in Portuguese)
- ^ Staff (2020-04-09). "Jose Aldo among Brazilians out of UFC 250 and beyond because of visa issues during pandemic". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Staff (2020-02-20). "Shogun and Minotouro face off for the third time at UFC 250 in São Paulo". globoesporte.globo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09. (in Portuguese)
- ^ Nolan King (2020-06-04). "Dana White: UFC books Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua 3 for July 25". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ Marcelo Barone (2020-05-23). "Ultimate plans to reschedule fight between Bethe Correia and Pannie Kianzad for July, on Fight Island". globoesporte.globo.com. Retrieved 2020-06-18. (in Portuguese)
- ^ Staff (2020-05-22). "Dana White announces full UFC on ESPN 9 lineup for May 30 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ Steve Duncan (2020-06-10). "Sergey Spivak vs. Carlos Felipe transferred to Fight Island on July 18". mma.uno. Retrieved 2020-06-18. (in Spanish)
- ^ Damon Martin (2020-04-09). "UFC 249, upcoming events postponed due to coronavirus pandemic, Dana White promises 'Fight Island' will proceed". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (2020-04-20). "UFC officially cancels four events due to coronavirus pandemic". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2020-04-24). "UFC schedules three fight cards, led by UFC 249 on May 9 in Florida with no fans". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ Staff (2019-12-14). "Raphael Assuncao meets former Bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt during UFC Columbus". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2019-12-14. (in Dutch)
- ^ Damon Martin (2020-03-12). "Cody Garbrandt out of UFC on ESPN 8 co-main event with Raphael Assuncao". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
- ^ Damon Martin (2020-04-25). "Cody Garbrandt vs. Raphael Assuncao in the works for UFC card on June 6". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- ^ Nolan King (2020-06-04). "UFC 250 cornerman tests positive for COVID-19, fighter removed from card (Updated)". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ Nolan King (2020-06-04). "Ian Heinisch out of UFC 250, Gerald Meerschaert vs. Anthony Ivy in the works". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ Nolan King (2020-06-04). "Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert back on at UFC 250 after false positive COVID-19 test". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
- ^ Jay Anderson (2020-06-07). "UFC 250 Bonuses: no fight of the night, O'Malley, Garbrandt among winners". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-06-07). "UFC 250 salaries: Amanda Nunes leads way with half-a-million-dollar purse". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-06-07.