| UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
The poster for UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya
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| Information | ||||
| Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
| Date | March 3, 2018 (2018-03-03) | |||
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena | |||
| City | Paradise, Nevada | |||
| Attendance | 12,041[1] | |||
| Total gate | $1,367,672[1] | |||
| Buyrate | 260,000[2] | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
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UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile ArenainParadise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area.[3]
UFC 222 features in the film Road House with filming taking place at the T-Mobile Arena during UFC 285.
AUFC Featherweight Championship bout between champion Max Holloway and former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar was expected to serve as the event headliner.[4] The pairing was initially expected to take place three months earlier at UFC 218. However, Edgar pulled out of the fight citing an eye injury.[5] In turn, Holloway pulled out of this bout on February 3, due to a leg injury and the matchup was scrapped.[6]
On the same day of Holloway's withdrawal, the UFC reportedly pursued a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion T.J. Dillashaw and former champion Cody Garbrandt to headline this event, in what would be a rematch of their UFC 217 encounter, in which Dillashaw recaptured the title with a TKO win. However, Dillashaw declined the offer citing a few reasons: the recent birth of his first child, not being in a training camp, disbelief that Garbrandt deserves the title shot, as well as a targeted UFC Flyweight Championship challenge against the champion Demetrious Johnson (who was, at the time, recovering from a surgery).[7]
On February 7, it was reported that a UFC Women's Featherweight Championship bout between current champion Cris Cyborg (who is also a former Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Champion and Invicta FC Featherweight Champion) and former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Yana Kunitskaya would headline the event.[8] Edgar remained on the card, facing Brian Ortega in the co-main event.[8]
A bantamweight bout between former UFC Flyweight Championship challenger and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller bantamweight winner John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz is expected to take place at the event.[9] The pairing was originally scheduled to take place one month earlier at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Anders but was scrapped from the event after Munhoz missed weight and Dodson did not agree to fight at a catchweight.[10]
Bobby Green was expected to face Beneil Dariush at the event, but pulled out on February 14 due to injury.[11] He was replaced by promotional newcomer Alexander Hernandez.[12]
This event had five split decisions, making it the most split decision bouts in UFC history.[13] UFC 274 in May 2022 also tied this record.
| Main Card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Women's Featherweight | Cris Cyborg (c) | def. | Yana Kunitskaya | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:25 | [a] |
| Featherweight | Brian Ortega | def. | Frankie Edgar | KO (punch) | 1 | 4:44 | [b] |
| Bantamweight | Sean O’Malley | def. | Andre Soukhamthath | Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–27, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Andrei Arlovski | def. | Stefan Struve | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Women's Bantamweight | Ketlen Vieira | def. | Cat Zingano | Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) | |||||||
| Women's Strawweight | Mackenzie Dern | def. | Ashley Yoder | Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Alexander Hernandez | def. | Beneil Dariush | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:42 | |
| Bantamweight | John Dodson | def. | Pedro Munhoz | Decision (split) (28–29, 30–27, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | C. B. Dollaway | def. | Héctor Lombard | DQ (illegal punches) | 1 | 5:00 | [c] |
| Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Zak Ottow | def. | Mike Pyle | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:34 | |
| Bantamweight | Cody Stamann | def. | Bryan Caraway | Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Jordan Johnson | def. | Adam Milstead | Decision (split) (29–28, 27–30, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:[16]
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. 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 $2,103,000.[17]
