| UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The poster for UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem. | ||||
| Information | ||||
| Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
| Date | September 10, 2016 | |||
| Venue | Quicken Loans Arena | |||
| City | Cleveland, Ohio | |||
| Attendance | 18,875 [1] | |||
| Total gate | $2,600,000 [1] | |||
| Buyrate | 450,000 [2] | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
| ||||
UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 10, 2016, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. [3]
This was the first UFC event in Cleveland. [3]
The event was headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion (and Cleveland area native) Stipe Miocic against 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix winner and former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. [4]
The professional debut of former professional wrestler CM Punk took place at this event. Punk, who signed with the UFC in December 2014, had a delayed debut due to past injuries from professional wrestling that needed treatment and also due to his need for training time. He made his debut against Mickey Gall in a welterweight bout. [5]
Ben Rothwell was expected to face former heavyweight champion Fabrício Werdum at this event. However, on August 11, Rothwell pulled out due to injury. A team representative said he may have suffered a torn meniscus and could have an ACL injury. [7] He was replaced by Travis Browne. [8] This was a rematch as Werdum defeated Browne via unanimous decision at UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne in 2014. [9]
A lightweight bout between Erik Koch and Drew Dober was originally booked for UFC 195, but Koch pulled out due to an injury and the bout was scrapped. [10] The fight was later rescheduled for this event, until Koch pulled out again due to injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Jason Gonzalez. [11] [12]
Mairbek Taisumov was expected to face Nik Lentz at the event. However, Taisumov was removed from the fight on September 1 for alleged visa issues and replaced by promotional newcomer Michael McBride. [13]
On September 5, it was announced that the lightweight bout between Damir Hadžović and Yusuke Kasuya, slated to open the preliminary portion of the card, was postponed and will now take place at October's UFC Fight Night: Lamas vs. Penn after Hadžović experienced issues with his travel visa. [14]
Ray Borg was scheduled to face Ian McCall at the event. However, Borg pulled out of the fight on September 7 citing an illness. With no time to find a suitable replacement, McCall was removed from the card. [15]
Michael McBride missed weight, coming in at 158 lb. As a result, he was fined 20% of his fight purse, which went to his opponent Nik Lentz. [16]
On the day of the event, C.B. Dollaway was forced out of his bout against Francimar Barroso due to a back injury he sustained in a malfunctioning elevator at his hotel. As a result, Barroso was also removed from the event. [17]
| Main Card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Stipe Miocic (c) | def. | Alistair Overeem | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:27 | [lower-alpha 1] |
| Heavyweight | Fabrício Werdum | def. | Travis Browne | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Mickey Gall | def. | CM Punk | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:14 | |
| Bantamweight | Jimmie Rivera | def. | Urijah Faber | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Women's Strawweight | Jéssica Andrade | def. | Joanne Calderwood | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 4:38 | |
| Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) | |||||||
| Women's Bantamweight | Bethe Correia | def. | Jessica Eye | Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Brad Tavares | def. | Caio Magalhães | Decision (split) (28–29, 30–27, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (158 lb) | Nik Lentz | def. | Michael McBride | TKO (punches) | 2 | 4:17 | |
| Lightweight | Drew Dober | def. | Jason Gonzalez | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:45 | |
| Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Yancy Medeiros | def. | Sean Spencer | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 0:49 | |
The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses: [19]
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Ohio Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the UFC and also do not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses. The total disclosed payout for the event was $3,056,000. [20]
^ Michael McBride was fined 20 percent of his purse for failing to make the required weight for his fight with Nik Lentz. That money was issued to Lentz, an OAC official confirmed.
Alistair Cees Overeem is a Dutch professional heavyweight mixed martial artist and kickboxer, currently competing in the heavyweight division of Glory. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and was the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time.
Fabrício Werdum is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Heavyweight Champion and European jiu-jitsu champion. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Muay Thai. Werdum has competed in PRIDE, the UFC, Strikeforce, and Jungle Fight. At the time of his departure from the UFC, Werdum was #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.
Ben Rothwell is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a Heavyweight. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and competed for the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL where he held an undefeated 9–0 record before leaving the promotion due to a contract dispute. He has also had one-fight stints in Affliction, M-1 Global, and King of the Cage.
Junior dos Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division of Eagle FC. As a mixed martial artist, he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion; as a professional wrestler, dos Santos made appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a member of the American Top Team stable.
Stefan Jaimy Struve is a Dutch former mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). At 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he is the tallest fighter in the history of the UFC.
Travis Kuualiialoha Browne is a retired American mixed martial artist who last competed as a Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce, the event took place on April 9, 2011, at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California, United States.
Stipe Miocic is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two time UFC Heavyweight Champion. Miocic is widely regarded by critics, commentators and media as the greatest UFC heavyweight fighter of all time. As of April 25, 2023, he is #3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.
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UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 19, 2014, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
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