UFC 268
| UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The poster for UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 | ||||
| Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
| Date | November 6, 2021 | |||
| Venue | Madison Square Garden | |||
| City | New York City, New York, United States | |||
| Attendance | 20,715[1] | |||
| Total gate | $9,800,000[1] | |||
| Buyrate | 700,000(US)[2] | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
| ||||
UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 6, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States.[3]
Background
[edit]A UFC Welterweight Championship rematch between the current champion Kamaru Usman (also The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians welterweight winner) and former interim champion Colby Covington headlined the event.[4] Serving as the event headliner, they previously met at UFC 245 in December 2019, where Usman defended his title via fifth-round technical knockout.[5] Vicente Luque served as backup and potential replacement for this fight.[6] At the weigh-ins, Luque weighed in at 172.2 pounds, 2.2 pounds over the welterweight title fight limit making him ineligible to compete for the title.[7]
A UFC Women's Strawweight Championship rematch between current two-time champion Rose Namajunas and former champion Zhang Weili took place as the co-main event.[8] They previously met at UFC 261, where Namajunas won the title via first-round knockout.[9]
A women’s bantamweight bout between former UFC Women's Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie and Irene Aldana was expected to take place at the event.[10] However, de Randamie withdrew in early September due to injury.[11]
A middleweight bout between former Strikeforce and UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold and Sean Strickland was expected to take place at the event.[12] However on October 11, Rockhold withdrew due to a herniated disc.[13]
Phil Hawes and Chris Curtis were expected to meet in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez a month earlier, but due to Curtis being tapped as a replacement just a day before that event, Hawes declined the matchup.[14] They met at this event.[15]
A featherweight contest between Melsik Baghdasaryan and T.J. Laramie was scheduled for the event.[16] However, Laramie was forced to pull out after he was diagnosed with an MRSA infection.[17] He was replaced by promotional newcomer Bruno Souza.[18] At the weigh-ins, Souza weighed in at 148.4 pounds, 2.4 pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and he forfeited 20% of his purse to Baghdasaryan.[7]
A light heavyweight fight between Aleksa Camur and John Allan was scheduled for the event.[19] However, Camur pulled out of the bout citing an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Dustin Jacoby.[20]
At the weigh-ins, C.J. Vergara weighed in at 127.4 pounds, 1.4 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at a catchweight and he forfeited 20% of his purse to his opponent Ode' Osbourne.[7]
Results
[edit]| Main card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Kamaru Usman (c) | def. | Colby Covington | Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 48–47, 49–46) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
| Women's Strawweight | Rose Namajunas (c) | def. | Zhang Weili | Decision (split) (47–48, 48–47, 49–46) | 5 | 5:00 | [b] |
| Bantamweight | Marlon Vera | def. | Frankie Edgar | KO (front kick) | 3 | 3:50 | |
| Featherweight | Shane Burgos | def. | Billy Quarantillo | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Justin Gaethje | def. | Michael Chandler | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card (ESPNews / ESPN+) | |||||||
| Middleweight | Alex Pereira | def. | Andreas Michailidis | TKO (flying knee and punches) | 2 | 0:18 | |
| Lightweight | Bobby Green | def. | Al Iaquinta | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:25 | |
| Middleweight | Chris Curtis | def. | Phil Hawes | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:27 | |
| Middleweight | Nassourdine Imavov | def. | Edmen Shahbazyan | TKO (elbows) | 2 | 4:42 | |
| Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Ian Machado Garry | def. | Jordan Williams | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:59 | |
| Heavyweight | Chris Barnett | def. | Gian Villante | TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches) | 2 | 2:23 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Dustin Jacoby | def. | John Allan | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (148.4 lb) | Melsik Baghdasaryan | def. | Bruno Souza | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (127.4 lb) | Ode' Osbourne | def. | C.J. Vergara | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
- ^ For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
- ^ For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship.
Bonus awards
[edit]The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[22]
- Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler
- Performance of the Night: Marlon Vera, Alex Pereira, Bobby Green, and Chris Barnett
Aftermath
[edit]This event won the UFC Honors 2021 Event of the Year award as voted by the fans.[23]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mike Bohn (2021-11-07). "UFC 268 post-event facts: Kamaru Usman highlights record-setting event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ Alexander K.Lee (2021-11-23). "UFC 268 reportedly tops 700K pay-per-view buys in U.S." mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ Milan Ordoñez (2021-08-28). "UFC 268 set for New York City; Gaethje vs. Chandler, Namajunas vs. Zhang 2 confirmed". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ^ Shakiel Mahjouri (2021-07-26). "Usman vs. Covington 2 set for UFC 268". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ^ Brian Campbell and Brent Brookhouse (2019-12-15). "UFC 245 results, highlights: Kamaru Usman outlasts Colby Covington in hellacious war for late TKO victory". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ^ Guilherme Cruz (2021-11-03). "Vicente Luque to serve as backup fighter for UFC 268 headliner Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ a b c Alexander K. Lee (2021-11-05). "UFC 268 weigh-in results: Two title fights set; Main event backup Vicente Luque, two others miss weight". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Nolan King (2021-08-28). "Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili 2 among latest additions to official UFC 268 card". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2021-04-25). "Rose Namajunas wins UFC's strawweight title with shocking knockout of Zhang Weili". espn.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ^ Jay Anderson (2021-08-28). "Germaine de Randamie vs. Irene Aldana Added to UFC 268 in NYC". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ Darryl Pinto (2021-09-08). "BREAKING: Germaine de Randamie Out of Her UFC 268 Fight Against Irene Aldana". essentiallysports.com. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ Daniel Cunningham (2021-08-04). "UFC books Luke Rockhold – Sean Strickland". empiresportsmedia.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ Mike Bohn (2021-10-11). "Luke Rockhold injured, out of UFC 268 fight with Sean Strickland". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (2021-10-08). "Phil Hawes vs. Chris Curtis short-notice bout off of UFC Vegas 39". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (2021-10-13). "BREAKING: Yet another match between Phil Hawes and Chris Curtis, now at UFC 268 in New York". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2021-10-14. (in Dutch)
- ^ Alex Behunin (2021-08-31). "Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. TJ Laramie added to UFC 268". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ Nolan King (2021-10-23). "T.J. Laramie announces UFC 268 withdrawal after MRSA diagnosis, shares graphic images". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (2021-10-30). "BREAKING: LFA Champion Bruno Souza meets Melsik Baghdasaryan on November 6 in New York". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2021-10-30. (in Dutch)
- ^ VH Gonzaga (2021-08-30). "With his sights on his first win at UFC, John Allan faces Aleksa Camur at UFC 268". superlutas.com.br. Retrieved 2021-11-01. (in Portuguese)
- ^ Marcel Dorff (2021-11-01). "Dustin Jacoby replaces Aleksa Camur against John Allan in New York on Saturday". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2021-11-01. (in Dutch)
- ^ "UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2". Ultimate Fighting Championship. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (2021-11-07). "UFC 268 bonuses: Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler thriller leads night of six winners". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ UFC (2022-01-16). "Dana White's 2021 President's Choice Awards - UFC Honors". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
