After hosting a PPV event at the venue and some others at HSBC Arena, the event was the first Fight Night that the UFC has hosted in Rio de Janeiro.[2]
The event was expected to be headlined by a bantamweight rematch between Urijah Faber and Raphael Assunção.[3] However, on February 2, Assunção was forced out of the bout as his ankle, injured in mid-December 2014, was slow to heal and he was unable to resume the proper training to prepare for the fight in that time frame.[4] The UFC also removed Faber from the card and promoted a welterweight bout between Demian Maia and Ryan LaFlare to the main event.[5]
Josh Thomson was expected to face Gilbert Burns at the event. However, on February 26, Thomson pulled out of the fight with an undisclosed injury,[7] while Burns remained on the card and faced promotional newcomer Alex Oliveira.[8]
Ben Saunders was expected to face Erick Silva at the event. However, on March 6, Saunders pulled out of the bout due to an injury.[9] He was replaced by Josh Koscheck.[10] Koscheck had previously fought just 21 days before this event at UFC 184, losing his fight against Jake Ellenberger.[11]
A lightweight fight between Leandro Silva and Drew Dober ended with controversy as referee Eduardo Herdy stopped the bout at 2:45 of the second round for no apparent reason, as Dober had already escaped a guillotine choke attempt.[12] The result was met with an enormous number of complaints from several people related to mixed martial arts. Dober was paid his win bonus regardless.[13] Although initially announcing the controversial result would stand, the Comissão Atlética Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA) – Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission – overturned Silva's win and declared the fight a no-contest on March 26.[14]
On April 9, the CABMMA announced that Jorge de Oliveira failed a fight night drug test, testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. He was suspended for one year, retroactive to the event date.[15]
^Maia was docked 1 point in the 5th round for stalling on the ground and not engaging in the fight.
^Originally ruled a submission (guillotine choke) victory for Silva; result overturned to "No Contest" by CABMMA as referee errantly stopped the fight.[14]
