UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2
United States
Main Card • Final
R5, 5:00
Title Fight
R2, 1:53
Title Fight
Performance of the Night
R1, 4:50
R1, 0:33
R2, 4:19
Prelims • Final
R2, 1:34
R2, 3:08
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
R1, 4:59
Early Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
Title Bout
Title Bout
$50k POTN
$50k Bonus
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Sergio Pettis and Matt Hobar each earned $50,000 for their high-paced bantamweight preliminary battle.
Performance of the Night: Anthony Pettis collected $50,000 for his historic second-round guillotine choke defense against Gilbert Melendez.
Performance of the Night: Josh Samman received $50,000 for his thunderous second-round head-kick knockout of Eddie Gordon.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $110,000 | $110,000 | — | $220,000 | |
| WIN | $100,000 | $100,000 | $50,000 | $250,000 | |
| LOSS | $200,000 | — | — | $200,000 | |
| LOSS | $150,000 | — | — | $150,000 | |
| WIN | $70,000 | $70,000 | — | $140,000 | |
| WIN | $50,000 | $50,000 | — | $100,000 | |
| WIN | $15,000 | $15,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 | |
| WIN | $8,000 | $8,000 | $50,000 | $66,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | $50,000 | $60,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 | |
| LOSS | $32,000 | — | — | $32,000 | |
| WIN | $15,000 | $15,000 | — | $30,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| LOSS | $20,000 | — | — | $20,000 | |
| WIN | $8,000 | $8,000 | — | $16,000 | |
| LOSS | $15,000 | — | — | $15,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 |
*Disclosed purses reported by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Figures reflect contractual show and win money only and do not include promotional discretionary bonuses, PPV participation points, or sponsorship pay. Total estimated figures include official post-fight performance bonus awards ($50,000 each). Ashlee Evans-Smith was later fined 30% of her purse ($2,400) by the NSAC following a post-fight drug test infraction.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2
Robbie Lawler won the UFC Welterweight Championship 12 years and 7 months after his promotional debut at UFC 37 in May 2002, setting the all-time record for the longest path to a UFC belt.
UFC 181 marked the historic 300th event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship since the organization’s inception in 1993.
Anthony Pettis became the first fighter in mixed martial arts history to submit Gilbert Melendez, catching the former Strikeforce champion in a second-round guillotine choke.
Anthony Pettis (Performance of the Night) and younger brother Sergio Pettis (Fight of the Night) became the first brothers to earn post-fight performance bonuses on the same UFC event.
UFC 181 became the first event in modern promotional history to feature two rare bulldog choke submissions on a single card (Urijah Faber and Raquel Pennington).
Raquel Pennington put Ashlee Evans-Smith to sleep with a bulldog choke with just one second remaining (4:59 of Round 1), tied for the latest first-round finish in division history.
Todd Duffee returned from a two-year medical layoff to score a blistering 33-second KO of Anthony Hamilton, continuing his career 100% finish rate.
Urijah Faber preserved his unblemished career record in non-title bouts, improving to 30-0 outside of championship contests by submitting Francisco Rivera.
Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks combined for 227 significant strikes landed across five competitive rounds, setting a new combined volume standard for welterweight championship bouts.
Tony Ferguson survived an early knockdown to submit Abel Trujillo, securing his fourth consecutive Octagon victory and third straight stoppage inside the distance.
Josh Samman delivered a consensus 2014 Knockout of the Year candidate by knocking out TUF 19 winner Eddie Gordon with a vicious left head kick at 3:08 of Round 2.
During the live pay-per-view broadcast, the UFC officially revealed the signing of former WWE Champion CM Punk (Phil Brooks) to an exclusive multi-fight promotional contract.
When and where did UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 take place?
UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 took place on Saturday, December 6, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Who won the main event between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler?
Robbie Lawler defeated Johny Hendricks via split decision (48–47, 46–49, 49–46) to win the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Who won the lightweight title fight between Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez?
Anthony Pettis successfully defended the UFC Lightweight Championship by submitting Gilbert Melendez via guillotine choke at 1:53 of Round 2.
Who won the official bonuses at UFC 181?
Four fighters received $50,000 performance bonuses: Sergio Pettis vs. Matt Hobar (Fight of the Night), Anthony Pettis (Performance of the Night), and Josh Samman (Performance of the Night).
What was the attendance and live gate for UFC 181?
The event drew an official crowd of 11,617 fans, generating a live gate of $2,488,000 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, alongside an estimated 400,000 pay-per-view buys.
What was the original main event planned for UFC 181?
UFC 181 was originally scheduled to be headlined by a UFC Middleweight Championship fight between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort, but Weidman withdrew after suffering a broken hand in training.
What rare submission occurred twice at UFC 181?
The rare bulldog choke submission finish occurred twice: first by Raquel Pennington against Ashlee Evans-Smith, and second by Urijah Faber against Francisco Rivera.
What major promotional announcement was made during the broadcast?
During the pay-per-view broadcast, the UFC announced the signing of former WWE Champion CM Punk (Phil Brooks) to an exclusive multi-fight mixed martial arts contract.
How did Travis Browne defeat Brendan Schaub?
Travis Browne defeated Brendan Schaub via TKO (punches) at 4:50 of Round 1, marking Schaub’s final professional mixed martial arts bout.
How was UFC 181 broadcast across the United States?
The main card aired live on Pay-Per-View, while preliminary bouts were broadcast across FOX Sports 1 and streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
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