UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos
United States
Main Card • Final
Brazil
R5, 5:00
Title Fight
Performance of the Night
Poland
R2, 4:17
Title Fight
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
Netherlands
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
England
R2, 1:33
Performance of the Night
Canada
R2, 4:07
R2, 2:38
Performance of the Night
R3, 3:12
Early Prelims • Final
R2, 1:34
Ireland
R1, 1:47
R2, 2:02
Official Event Results
Title Bout
$50k POTN
Title Bout
$50k POTN
$50k POTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Performance of the Night: Rafael dos Anjos, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Ross Pearson, and Beneil Dariush each earned $50,000 performance bonuses for their dominant championship performances and highlight finishes.
Fight of the Night: No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded for this event, as promotional officials elected to distribute four individual performance awards.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000* | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000* | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000* | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000* | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Purses and contractual compensation were not publicly disclosed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) pursuant to state regulations. Total estimated figures reflect confirmed official post-fight performance bonuses ($50,000 each). In addition, Daron Cruickshank was fined 20 percent of his purse for missing weight, which was transferred directly to Beneil Dariush.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 185
Joanna Jędrzejczyk became the first fighter from Poland in UFC history to capture a championship belt by stopping Carla Esparza in the second round.
Jędrzejczyk established herself as the first female European champion in UFC history, and only the third European-born titleholder in promotional history.
Rafael dos Anjos became the first Brazilian fighter in UFC history to capture the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship.
Dos Anjos became one of the few challengers in UFC championship history to win every single round on all three judges’ scorecards (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) against a defending champion.
Rafael dos Anjos converted 9 of 10 takedown attempts against Anthony Pettis, establishing a then-record for takedowns landed in a UFC lightweight title fight.
UFC 185 became one of the rare events in UFC history where two reigning champions were dethroned on the same night (Anthony Pettis and Carla Esparza).
Carla Esparza’s defeat marked the first title change in UFC Women’s Strawweight history, concluding the division’s inaugural title reign after only 92 days.
Seven of the eight preliminary bouts concluded inside the distance (6 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission), producing one of the highest undercard finish rates of 2015.
Ryan Benoit rallied from a dominant opening round to knock out heavy favorite Sergio Pettis (-550) in round two, securing one of the largest betting upsets of 2015.
2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo made a flawless flyweight debut, sweeping former title challenger Chris Cariaso 30-27 across all cards.
Highly touted newcomer Joseph Duffy made an electric promotional debut, finishing Jake Lindsey with a head kick and follow-up body punch in just 1:47 of round one.
Marking an uncommon promotional distribution on a numbered PPV, UFC officials awarded four $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses and zero Fight of the Night awards.
When and where did UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos take place?
UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos took place on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Who won the main event between Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos?
Rafael dos Anjos defeated Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision (50–45, 50–45, 50–45) across five dominant rounds to become the new UFC Lightweight Champion.
Who won the co-main event strawweight championship bout?
Joanna Jędrzejczyk defeated inaugural champion Carla Esparza via TKO (punches) at 4:17 of Round 2 to capture the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship.
What promotional history did Joanna Jędrzejczyk make at UFC 185?
Joanna Jędrzejczyk became the first Polish champion in UFC history and the first female European champion in the promotion’s existence.
What milestone did Rafael dos Anjos achieve by winning the title?
Rafael dos Anjos became the first Brazilian fighter in UFC history to hold the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship.
Who won the post-fight bonuses at UFC 185?
Four fighters received $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses: Rafael dos Anjos, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Ross Pearson, and Beneil Dariush. No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded.
What was the official attendance and live gate for UFC 185?
The event drew an official crowd of 14,298 fans and generated a live gate of $2,155,630 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
How many pay-per-view buys did UFC 185 generate?
UFC 185 generated an estimated 310,000 pay-per-view buys globally.
Who won the featured welterweight bout between Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown?
Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks defeated Matt Brown via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) utilizing 9 takedowns.
Who won the heavyweight fight between Alistair Overeem and Roy Nelson?
Alistair Overeem defeated Roy Nelson via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27), outstriking Nelson with clinical kicks and knee strikes.
How did Henry Cejudo perform in his UFC flyweight debut?
Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo made a successful flyweight debut, landing 6 takedowns to defeat former title challenger Chris Cariaso via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
Why was the bout between Beneil Dariush and Daron Cruickshank a catchweight?
Daron Cruickshank missed the lightweight limit at 157 pounds. The fight proceeded at a 157-pound catchweight, and Cruickshank forfeited 20 percent of his purse to Beneil Dariush, who won by second-round submission.
How did Ryan Benoit pull off the upset over Sergio Pettis?
Closing as a +425 betting underdog, Ryan Benoit rebounded from a difficult first round to drop and stop Sergio Pettis with punches at 1:34 of Round 2.
Who did Joseph Duffy defeat in his promotional debut at UFC 185?
Ireland’s Joe Duffy defeated Jake Lindsey via TKO (head kick and body punch) at just 1:47 of Round 1 in an impressive promotional debut.
Who were the commentators and cage announcer for UFC 185?
The event was called cage-side by blow-by-blow commentator Mike Goldberg and color analyst Joe Rogan, with Bruce Buffer serving as the official Octagon announcer.
UFC news
