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UFC 216: Ferguson vs. Lee is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will be held on October 7, 2017 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.


Fight Card

Lightweight Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee For the interim UFC Lightweight Championship
Flyweight Demetrious Johnson (c) vs. Ray Borg For the UFC Flyweight Championship.
Heavyweight Fabrício Werdum vs. Derrick Lewis
Women's Flyweight Mara Romero Borella vs. Kalindra Faria
Lightweight Beneil Dariush vs. Evan Dunham

Preliminary Card (FXX)

Bantamweight Tom Duquesnoy vs. Cody Stamann
Lightweight Will Brooks vs. Nik Lentz
Lightweight Bobby Green vs. Lando Vannata
Women's Strawweight Pearl Gonzalez vs. Poliana Botelho

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

Heavyweight Walt Harris vs. Mark Godbeer
Flyweight John Moraga vs. Magomed Bibulatov
Middleweight Thales Leites vs. Brad Tavares
Flyweight Matt Schnell vs. Marco Beltrán


Background

A UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Stipe Miocic and former champion Cain Velasquez was initially targeted to headline this event. After that pairing failed to materialize, the promotion announced plans for an interim UFC Lightweight Championship bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos welterweight winner Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee to serve as the main event.

A UFC Flyweight Championship bout between current champion Demetrious Johnson and Ray Borg was expected to headline UFC 215. However, the fight was canceled a day before the event, as Borg was forced to withdraw from the fight due to illness. His illness was unrelated to his weight cut, sources say. The fight was later rescheduled for this event. If successful in his title defense, Johnson will become the UFC fighter with the most consecutive title defenses in any division, with a total of eleven.

Abel Trujillo was expected to face Lando Vannata at the event. However, Trujillo was removed from the card on August 14 for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Bobby Green.

Paige VanZant was expected to face Jessica Eye at the event. However, VanZant pulled out of the fight on September 25 citing a back injury. Subsequently, Eye was pulled from the card and is expected to be rescheduled against a different opponent at future event.

A women's flyweight bout between promotional newcomers Andrea Lee and Kalindra Faria was expected to be a late addition to this event, as it was announced on September 28. However a few hours later, it was revealed that Lee was pulled from the contest as she didn't go through the USADA testing pool for six months. Usually short notice fights do not need to follow such rule, but since she has failed a drug test in the past, Lee must fulfill that requirement. She was replaced by fellow promotional newcomer Mara Romero Borella.




Sep 19 - Updated fight card & background
Oct 3 - Updated fight card & background

Sep 19 - Updated fight card & background

Oct 3 - Updated fight card & background