UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier
United States
Main Card • Final
R3, 2:39
Vacant Title Fight
Performance of the Night
R1, 2:53
Title Fight
Performance of the Night
Brazil
R2, 4:44
Canada
Belarus
R1, 4:41
Fight of the Night
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
South Korea
R3, 2:13
R3, 5:00
Jamaica
R3, 5:00
Early Prelims • Final
Russia
R2, 2:38
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
Vacant Title Bout
$50k POTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne each received $50,000 for their breathless, two-knockdown heavyweight war in round 1, later voted the 2015 “Round of the Year.”
Performance of the Night: Daniel Cormier collected $50,000 for withstanding early adversity to submit Anthony Johnson in round 3 and capture the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Performance of the Night: Chris Weidman earned $50,000 for weathering an explosive barrage from Vitor Belfort before scoring a mount-and-pound first-round TKO to defend his UFC Middleweight Championship.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $90,000 | $90,000 | $50,000 | $230,000 | |
| LOSS | $500,000 | — | — | $500,000 | |
| WIN | $250,000 | $250,000 | $50,000 | $550,000 | |
| LOSS | $300,000 | — | — | $300,000 | |
| WIN | $76,000 | $76,000 | — | $152,000 | |
| LOSS | $30,000 | — | — | $30,000 | |
| WIN | $42,000 | $42,000 | $50,000 | $134,000 | |
| LOSS | $60,000 | — | $50,000 | $110,000 | |
| WIN | $53,000 | $53,000 | — | $106,000 | |
| LOSS | $28,000 | — | — | $28,000 | |
| WIN | $58,000 | $58,000 | — | $116,000 | |
| LOSS | $45,000 | — | — | $45,000 | |
| WIN | $35,000 | $35,000 | — | $70,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $24,000 | |
| LOSS | $51,000 | — | — | $51,000 | |
| WIN | $20,000 | $20,000 | — | $40,000 | |
| LOSS | $19,000 | — | — | $19,000 | |
| WIN | $15,000 | $15,000 | — | $30,000 | |
| LOSS | $13,000 | — | — | $13,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 |
*Disclosed fighter purses reported by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Figures do not reflect discretionary locker-room bonuses, pay-per-view points, or commercial sponsorship revenue. Performance Bonus column represents official post-fight $50,000 bonus awards disbursed by the UFC.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 187
Daniel Cormier became only the second fighter in UFC history to capture a vacant 205-pound championship, joining Randy Couture who won the vacant belt at UFC 44 in 2003.
Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne produced two knockdowns in an explosive heavyweight opening round, unanimously crowned the 2015 “Round of the Year” across major MMA media.
Future UFC pound-for-pound king and undisputed lightweight champion Islam Makhachev made his promotional debut, submitting Leo Kuntz via rear-naked choke at 2:38 of Round 2.
Chris Weidman notched his third consecutive middleweight title defense by finishing Vitor Belfort, completing an unprecedented 4-0 championship run against Brazilian MMA icons.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone stopped John Makdessi via second-round head-kick TKO to claim his eighth consecutive UFC victory, matching the longest lightweight win streak in UFC history at the time.
Andrei Arlovski registered his 11th UFC heavyweight finish with his first-round stoppage of Travis Browne, moving into sole possession of third place on the division’s all-time finishes list.
Future interim welterweight champion Colby Covington stepped in on short notice to improve to 8-0 (3-0 UFC), utterly dominating former WEC champion Mike Pyle via unanimous decision.
UFC 187 drew 12,615 attendees and produced a staggering $5,189,623 live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, setting one of the highest Memorial Day weekend revenues in UFC history.
During the preliminary telecast, UFC officially announced the revamp of its Hall of Fame, confirming the inductions of B.J. Penn, Bas Rutten, and late Olympic champion Jeff Blatnick.
Joseph Benavidez swept all three scorecards (30–27 x3) over title challenger John Moraga, recording his 9th UFC flyweight victory to solidify his ranking as the premier 125-pound contender.
“Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim secured his 11th promotional win by tapping Joshua Burkman with a textbook third-round arm-triangle choke, his first submission win inside the Octagon in four years.
UFC 187 served as one of the rare pay-per-view cards in promotional history featuring two undisputed men’s world championship contests on the same night (Light Heavyweight and Middleweight).
When and where did UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier take place?
UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier took place on Saturday, May 23, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Who won the main event between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson?
Daniel Cormier defeated Anthony “Rumble” Johnson via third-round submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:39 of Round 3 to claim the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Why was the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship vacant at UFC 187?
Former champion Jon Jones was originally scheduled to defend the belt against Anthony Johnson, but was stripped of his title and suspended indefinitely by the UFC on April 28, 2015, following his involvement in a hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Daniel Cormier stepped in on short notice to fight Johnson for the vacant strap.
Who won the co-main event between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort?
Chris Weidman successfully defended his UFC Middleweight Championship, defeating Vitor Belfort via TKO (punches) at 2:53 of Round 1 after surviving an early blitz from the Brazilian challenger.
Who won the official post-fight bonus awards at UFC 187?
Four fighters received $50,000 post-fight bonuses: Andrei Arlovski vs. Travis Browne (Fight of the Night), Daniel Cormier (Performance of the Night), and Chris Weidman (Performance of the Night).
What made Andrei Arlovski vs. Travis Browne one of the greatest heavyweight fights?
The first-round clash featured constant heavy exchanges with both fighters knocking each other down. Arlovski rallied to secure a walk-off TKO at 4:41 of Round 1 in a frame universally regarded as the consensus 2015 Round of the Year.
Did Islam Makhachev make his UFC debut at UFC 187?
Yes. Future undisputed UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev made his promotional debut at UFC 187, submitting American Leo Kuntz via rear-naked choke at 2:38 of Round 2.
How did Donald Cerrone defeat John Makdessi at UFC 187?
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone broke John Makdessi’s jaw with a thunderous head kick late in the second round, forcing Makdessi to verbally submit at 4:44 of Round 2 for a TKO victory.
What was the live gate and attendance for UFC 187?
UFC 187 drew an official attendance of 12,615 fans producing a massive live gate of $5,189,623 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
How was UFC 187 broadcast and how many PPV buys did it generate?
The main card aired live on Pay-Per-View (generating an estimated 375,000 buys), with preliminary fights broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 and early prelims streaming on UFC Fight Pass.
Who won the bout between Colby Covington and Mike Pyle?
Undefeated prospect Colby Covington defeated veteran Mike Pyle via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 30–27), relying on relentless grappling and top control.
How did Dong Hyun Kim defeat Joshua Burkman at UFC 187?
Dong Hyun Kim dominated Burkman on the canvas across three rounds before locking in an arm-triangle choke to secure the tapout at 2:13 of Round 3.
Who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame announced during UFC 187?
During the live FS1 broadcast, the UFC revealed the 2015 Hall of Fame class: B.J. Penn (Modern Era), Bas Rutten (Pioneer Era), and the late Olympic champion Jeff Blatnick (Contributors wing).
Who were the commentators and announcer for UFC 187?
The event was called by cage-side commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, with legendary cage announcer Bruce Buffer introducing the fighters inside the Octagon.
Did Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson fight in a rematch after UFC 187?
Yes. The two met in a championship rematch at UFC 210 on April 8, 2017, where Daniel Cormier defeated Anthony Johnson once again via rear-naked choke submission in Round 2.
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