UFC 221 is in the books and it was a successful trip for the UFC to Australia. Taking place from the Perth Arena in Perth, Australia, the show was headlined by Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold in a partial interim title bout. The event drew 12,437 fans for a gate of $3.6 million AUD.
UFC executive Dave Shaw said it's the highest grossing event in Perth Arena history.
This event marked the first time UFC ventured to Perth in their history. UFC Fight Night: Wedum vs. Tybura took place in Sydney, Australia on Nov. 19, 2017. That event drew 10,021 fans. The last pay-per-view event to take place in Australia was Holly Holm's stunning upset of Ronda Rousey in Melbourne. 56,214 fans witnessed history on that night.
Romero did not walk away with the interim title due to his failure to make weight and didn't walk away with a post-fight bonus either. His knockout of Rockhold would have earned him some extra dough on any other night, but because he missed weight, he became ineligible for a post-fight bonus.
Romero's misfortunes turned into gains for Israel Adesanya and Jussier Formiga. Both men walked away with Performance of the Night bonuses and an extra $50,000. Adesanya battered Rob Wilkinson with punches and knees before the ref saved Wilkinson from taking more punishment. Meanwhile, Formiga submitted Ben Nguyen in the third round with a rear naked choke.
Fight of the Night went to Jake Matthews and Li Jingliang. Matthews picked up a unanimous decision victory in that contest. Left off the list were hometown favorites Tyson Pedro and Tai Tuivasa, both of whom seemed upset to be walking away empty handed.
Full Information:
Attendance - 12,437
Gate - $3.6 million AUD
Performance of the Night ($25,000) - Israel Adesanya
Performance of the Night ($25,000) - Jussier Formiga
Fight of the Night ($25,000 each) - Jake Matthews and Li Jingliang
If you missed any of the action, check out Fightful.com's full recap.
