''UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 2'') was a
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
event produced by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
that was held on March 30, 2019 at the
Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to:
*Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California
*Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California
* Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California
* Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California
* Wells Fargo Cen ...
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
Background
This was the third UFC event in Philadelphia and the first since
UFC 133
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
in August 2011.
A lightweight bout between
Edson Barboza
Edson Barboza Jr. (born January 21, 1986) is a Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai kickboxer who competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has formerly competed at li ...
and former
WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje
Justin Ray Gaethje (; born November 14, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. As o ...
served as the event headliner.
A strawweight bout between
Alexa Grasso
Karen Alexa Grasso Montes (born August 9, 1993) is a Mexican mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division. She is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 29, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women ...
and
Marina Rodriguez
Marina Alcalde Rodriguez (born April 29, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women's stra ...
was scheduled at
UFC Fight Night: Assunção vs. Moraes 2. However, it was reported on December 17, that Rodriguez pulled out of the event due to a hand injury. The pairing was left intact and rescheduled for this event.
In turn, it was reported that Grasso was pulled from the bout due to injury and replaced by former
WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion Jessica Aguilar
Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previously ...
.
A bantamweight bout between former
UFC Flyweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
challenger
Ray Borg and
Liu Pingyuan
Liu Pingyuan (born February 13, 1993) is a Chinese mixed martial artist (MMA). He currently competes in the bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Mixed martial arts career Early career
Liu started his professiona ...
was scheduled to take place at the event. However, it was reported on March 13, that Liu was replaced by newcomer
Kyler Phillips
Kyler Phillips (born June 12, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
At the age of 3, Phillip's father took him to the Gracie Academy out of Torrance, ...
for an undisclosed reason.
In turn, Phillips was removed from the card on March 25 for undisclosed reasons and replaced by
Casey Kenney
Casey James Kenney (born March 20, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently competing in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and he was the former Tachi Palace Fights Flyweight champion and Lega ...
.
At the weigh-ins, Borg weighed in at 137.75 lb, 1.75 lb over the bantamweight non-title fight limit of 136 lb. He was fined 20% of his fight purse and his bout against Kenney proceeded at catchweight.
Results
Bonus awards
The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
*Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Edson Barboza
*Performance of the Night: Jack Hermansson and Paul Craig
See also
*
List of UFC events
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. UFC's first event, UFC 1, took place on November 12, 1993. Each UFC event contains several fight ...
*
2019 in UFC
The year 2019 was the 27th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.
Releases and retirements
These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, a ...
*
List of current UFC fighters
This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster ...
References
{{2019 in mixed martial arts
UFC on ESPN
2019 in mixed martial arts
2019 in sports in Pennsylvania
March 2019 sports events in the United States
Mixed martial arts in Pennsylvania
Sports competitions in Philadelphia
Events in Philadelphia