A PPV event was initially planned for Anaheim on January 21, 2017, but was rescheduled for this date after a lack of suitable headlining fights could be arranged for the initial date in January.[2]
This was the third time that the UFC booked a rematch between Cormier (left) and Jones (right), after previous attempts (UFC 197 and UFC 200) were scrapped.
AUFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Daniel Cormier and former champion Jon Jones had been targeted for this event.[3] The pairing met previously at UFC 182 in January 2015 with Jones defending his title via unanimous decision.[4] Subsequent to that victory, Jones was stripped of the title and suspended indefinitely from the UFC in connection with a hit-and-run incident in which he was involved.[5] Cormier replaced him and went on to defeat Anthony JohnsonatUFC 187 to win the vacant title.[6] Their rematch was originally expected to take place at UFC 197, but Cormier pulled out three weeks before the event due to injury and was replaced by Ovince Saint Preux, in what became an interim title bout.[7] Jones went on to defeat Saint Preux by unanimous decision and won the interim title.[8] The fight was scheduled again and was expected to headline UFC 200 in July 2016. However, Jones was pulled out of the fight by USADA due to a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 16. Jones' "B" sample also came positive for the same substances and Jones was suspended for one year, retroactively to July 6, 2016.[9][10] The Cormier-Jones rematch was officially announced on May 12, though its status as main event or co-headliner was not initially confirmed.[11] UFC president Dana White confirmed that the bout would headline this event, despite previous issues regarding Jones. He also announced that Jimi Manuwa would participate on this card and should anything happen to the main event, Manuwa would be the replacement.[12] On May 31, Volkan Oezdemir was announced as his opponent.[13]
Doo Ho Choi was expected to face Andre Fili at the event, but pulled out on June 14 due to injury.[26] On July 15, promotional newcomer Calvin Kattar was announced as his replacement.[27]
Claudio Puelles was expected to face Sage Northcutt, but pulled out on June 19 due to a knee injury.[28] He was replaced by John Makdessi.[29] In turn, the fight was canceled on July 14 due to both fighters being injured.[30]
A welterweight bout between former UFC Welterweight ChampionRobbie Lawler and former UFC Lightweight Championship challenger Donald Cerrone was originally booked for UFC 205. However, Lawler pulled out to take a little more time after recovering from his previous fight at UFC 201.[31] The fight was then rescheduled to take place on July 8, 2017, at UFC 213.[32] Reports began to circulate on June 28 that Cerrone had sustained a minor injury and that the pairing would be left intact, but shifted to this event.[33] UFC President Dana White confirmed later that Cerrone in fact had a staph infection and a pulled groin, and while the plan was to keep the bout, it wouldn't happen at this event.[34] In the end, the bout was confirmed on July 2 for this event.[35]
Sara McMann and Ketlen Vieira were expected to face each other at the event, but on July 7 it was announced that the bout was moved to UFC 215 in September.[37]
A heavyweight fight between Dmitrii Smolyakov and promotional newcomer Adam Wieczorek was scheduled for the preliminary portion of the event. However, the bout was removed from the card for undisclosed reasons on July 17 and is expected to be rescheduled for a future event in October.[38]
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the California State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money and also does not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses.[41] The total disclosed payout for the event was $3,636,000.[42]
Jon Jones: $500,000 (no win bonus) vs. Daniel Cormier: $1,000,000
Tyron Woodley: $500,000 (no win bonus) def. Demian Maia: $110,000
Cristiane Justino: $200,000 (no win bonus) def. Tonya Evinger: $100,000
On August 22, it was announced that Jones was flagged for a potential doping violation by USADA stemming from his urine test sample that was collected after weigh-ins July 28. He tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid. Jones was placed on a provisional suspension as a result of the positive drug test and he is expected to be afforded a full adjudication process.[43] The "B" sample his failed drug test also confirmed the presence of a banned substance, as announced on September 12. According to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), Jones passed multiple out-of-competition tests leading up to the event, as well as a blood test on July 29. That blood test does not significantly aid Jones' case, however, as blood tests do not test for Turinabol.[44] On the following day, the CSAC officially changed the result to a no contest.[45]
Also on September 13, the UFC announced that Jones was stripped of the title and Cormier was being reinstated as champion.[46] On February 28, 2018, the CSAC revoked Jones' fight license and fined him a total of $205,000, including 40% of his disclosed salary. He can re-apply for a license after his case with USADA is concluded.[47]
On September 20, USADA announced that Jones received a 15-month suspension, after an evidentiary hearing with an independent arbitrator on September 15. The independent arbitrator, well-known anti-doping investigator Richard McLaren, found Jones had "some degree of fault" for the steroid metabolite that showed up in his system, but "the violation was not intended nor could it have enhanced" his performance. The suspension is retroactive to the date his positive sample was collected, making him eligible on October 28.[48]