UFC 202

Background

The event was headlined by a welterweight rematch between The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner and former lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz and UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor.

The pairing previously met earlier in the year at UFC 196. McGregor was expected to challenge then UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos, but dos Anjos pulled out due to a broken foot only 11 days before the event. Diaz eventually replaced him and the bout was shifted to the welterweight division. Diaz won the fight via rear-naked choke in the second round. Their rematch was originally expected to take place at UFC 200, but everything changed during mid-April, as a disagreement between McGregor and the UFC, regarding his media schedule, led to his removal from the event and then Diaz was also pulled out.

A bout between former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challengers Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira was expected to serve as the co-main event for UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko. However, Johnson pulled out one month before the event to tend to personal issues. In turn, promotion officials elected to pull Teixeira from the card and the pairing was left intact and rescheduled to take place at this event.

Dong Hyun Kim was expected to face Neil Magny at the event. However, Kim pulled out due to injury on July 12 and was replaced by Lorenz Larkin.

A lightweight bout between Al Iaquinta and former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves briefly linked to this event is now expected to be contested later this year at UFC 205.

A welterweight contest between former WEC Welterweight Champion and former interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit and Demian Maia, a former UFC Middleweight Championship challenger, was scheduled to take place at this event, but was moved a week later to headline an already scheduled FOX event.

Sultan Aliev was expected to face Hyun Gyu Lim at the event. However, Aliev pulled out of the fight in early August citing a wrist injury. Lim faced promotional newcomer Mike Perry.

On August 5, Sean Strickland pulled out of his planned bout against Tim Means due to a knee injury. He was replaced by promotional newcomer Sabah Homasi.

The Ultimate Fighter: China winner Ning Guangyou tested positive for clenbuterol from an out-of-competition sample taken May 19, but USADA found he ingested the substance without fault or negligence. They reviewed the evidence of the case - Ning's whereabouts, dietary habits and the lab reports showing "very low parts per billion concentrations" of the substance - and determined that it very likely came from tainted meat, as countries like Mexico and China have a high risk for meats contaminated with the substance. Ning will not face a suspension. He was expected to face Marlon Vera at this event, but due to this incident the bout was pushed back one week for UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit.

Bonus awards

The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:

Reported payout

The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money and also does not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses. The total disclosed payout for the event was $6,106,000.

Records set

McGregor's fight purse was the highest in history, breaking Brock Lesnar's record from UFC 200 by $0.5 million. Also, this event estimates doing 1.65 million buys on pay-per-view, putting it slightly ahead of the previous record (1.6 million) from UFC 196, which featured the first bout between McGregor and Diaz.