UFC 248: Attendance, Gate, Bonuses
Two huge title fights, one of them delivering in a major way, resulting in a big night for the UFC as UFC 248 took place this past weekend.
The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada drew over 15,077 fans, with a gate of $2.7 million. According to MMAJunkie, the attendance is ranked ninth all-time when it comes to UFC events inside the T-Mobile Arena. The UFC has been there 16 times. The main event was Israel Adesanya successfully defending his UFC Middleweight Championship against Yoel Romero.
It was the co-main event that had everyone talking, however. The UFC Strawweight Title fight between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk earned Fight of the Night honors.
Both Zhang (21-1) and Joanna (16-4) put on a fight that will be talked about for years to come. The fight lasted all five rounds, with both women hitting one another with everything they had. Rounds one and two saw both fists and feet flying. Joanna ended up with a hematoma on her forehead and a possible broken nose at the hands of Zhang.
By the end of the fight, the two shared the same amount of significant strikes in three separate rounds. Zhang ended up winning the bout via split decision (48–47, 47–48, 48–47).
WARRIORS. 👊
Weili and Joanna putting it all on the line for the right to be called champion! 🏆 #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/uav5jTjn4B
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020
Performances of the Night went to Sean O’Malley and Beniel Dariush. Before the co-main event blew the roof off the place, Dariush (18-4-1) and Drakkar Klose also put on a show. Following a back and forth affair, Dariush landed a vicious shot that knocked Klose out cold. With only four wins via knockout, Dariush’s punch resulted in one of the best reactions from the UFC’s commentary team. He has now won four in a row.
HOLY SMOKES! 😱@BeneilDariush turns the LIGHTS OUT! #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/Ct9WzuNi7K
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020
Returning from a suspension that kept him out for a long time, O’Malley (11-0) was fighting in the main event of the prelims against Jose Alberto Quinonez. In his first fight since 2018, O’Malley made up for lost times. In the first round, he hit a sick high kick that knocked his opponent to the ground. A few punches later and it was all over. The 25-year-old has now won four fights with the UFC since appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017.
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Stream #UFC248 on ESPN+ ➡️ https://t.co/bgI1Songf8 pic.twitter.com/V0F0Oc3NCO
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 8, 2020