| UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The poster for UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis | ||||
| Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
| Date | November 3, 2018 (2018-11-03) | |||
| Venue | Madison Square Garden | |||
| City | New York City,New York | |||
| Attendance | 17,011[1] | |||
| Total gate | $2,841,718[1] | |||
| Buyrate | 250,000[2] | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
| ||||
UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis was amixed martial arts event produced by theUltimate Fighting Championship that was held on November 3, 2018 atMadison Square Garden inNew York City,New York.[3][4]
AUFC Heavyweight Championship bout between championDaniel Cormier (also theUFC Light Heavyweight Champion) andDerrick Lewis headlined the event.[5]
A bout for the vacantUFC Women's Flyweight Championship between formerUFC Women's Bantamweight Championship challengerValentina Shevchenko andSijara Eubanks was expected to serve as the event headliner.[6] Shevchenko was initially expected to face formerUFC Women's Strawweight ChampionJoanna Jędrzejczyk atUFC 231 for the title, but due to UFC 230 being in need of a main event, she was booked against Eubanks sooner.[7] Eubanks was expected to faceJessica Eye atUFC 232, before being moved to this bout.[8] After the UFC announced Cormier/Lewis on October 9, they confirmed this bout was canceled and that Shevchenko would return to her original bout atUFC 231.[5] Eubanks remained on the card and faced former title challengerRoxanne Modafferi.[9]
A middleweight bout between former interimUFC Middleweight Championship challenger (as well as2000 Olympic silver medalist and world champion infreestyle wrestling)Yoel Romero andPaulo Costa was scheduled for the event. However, Romero indicated in mid-August that while he has been cleared to fight, his doctors have recommended that he wait another four to five months (early 2019) to allow facial injuries incurred during his most recent fight to fully heal.[10]
A lightweight bout betweenDustin Poirier and formerUFC Lightweight Championship challenger andThe Ultimate Fighter 5 lightweight winnerNate Diaz was expected to take place at the event. However, on October 10, it was reported that Poirier pulled out due to injury and the bout was cancelled.[11]
A bantamweight bout betweenBrian Kelleher andDomingo Pilarte was expected to take place at the event. However, on October 10, it was reported that Pilarte pulled out due to injury and was replaced byMontel Jackson.[12]
Sultan Aliev was expected to face formerBellator Welterweight ChampionLyman Good at the event, but he pulled out due to injury. He was replaced byBen Saunders.[13]
A middleweight bout between formerUFC Middleweight ChampionsLuke Rockhold (also formerStrikeforce Middleweight Champion) andChris Weidman was expected to take place at the event.[14] The two previously met atUFC 194 where Rockhold defeated then champion Weidman with a fourth-round knockout.[15] However, Rockhold pulled out on October 19 due to multiple injuries.[16] He was replaced by another former Strikeforce championRonaldo Souza, who was initially scheduled to face formerWSOF Middleweight andLight Heavyweight ChampionDavid Branch in the event. Branch instead facedJared Cannonier.[17]
Ruslan Magomedov was expected to faceMarcos Rogério de Lima at the event. However, on October 24, it was reported that he pulled out of the event due to visa issues and was replaced byAdam Wieczorek.[18]
At the weigh-ins, Eubanks and Kelleher both missed the required weight for their respective fights. Eubanks weighed in at 127.2 pounds, 1.2 pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126. Meanwhile, Kelleher weighed in at 137 pounds, 1 pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit of 136. Both of them were fined 20 percent of their purse, which went to their opponentsRoxanne Modafferi andMontel Jackson.[19] In turn, Kelleher was pulled due to illness on the day of the event.[20]
| Main Card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Daniel Cormier (c) | def. | Derrick Lewis | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 2 | 2:14 | [a] |
| Middleweight | Ronaldo Souza | def. | Chris Weidman | KO (punches) | 3 | 2:46 | |
| Middleweight | Jared Cannonier | def. | David Branch | TKO (punches) | 2 | 0:39 | |
| Middleweight | Karl Roberson | def. | Jack Marshman | Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–26, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Middleweight | Israel Adesanya | def. | Derek Brunson | TKO (knees and punches) | 1 | 4:51 | |
| Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1) | |||||||
| Featherweight | Jordan Rinaldi | def. | Jason Knight | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–25, 30–26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Catchweight (127.2 lb) | Sijara Eubanks | def. | Roxanne Modafferi | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Sheymon Moraes | def. | Julio Arce | Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 30–26) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Welterweight | Lyman Good | def. | Ben Saunders | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:32 | |
| Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | |||||||
| Lightweight | Matt Frevola | vs. | Lando Vannata | Draw (majority) (29–28, 28–28, 28–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Featherweight | Shane Burgos | def. | Kurt Holobaugh | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 2:11 | |
| Heavyweight | Marcos Rogério de Lima | def. | Adam Wieczorek | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:[22]
