UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2 Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2
United States
Main Card • Final
R3, 4:51
Title Fight
Brazil
Cameroon
R1, 1:42
Netherlands
R3, 5:00
R3, 3:59
Fight of the Night
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
R2, 4:06
R3, 2:02
Fight of the Night
Sweden
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Early Prelims • Final
R2, 4:34
Ghana
R1, 4:21
R1, 3:39
R1, 2:33
Official Event Results
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night (Bout 1): Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje each received $50,000 for their violent lightweight war of attrition, ending in a thunderous third-round knee KO.
Fight of the Night (Bout 2): In a rare promotional move, UFC awarded a second Fight of the Night to Yancy Medeiros and Alex Oliveira for their unforgettable welterweight classic that featured four combined knockdowns.
Performance of the Night: No Performance of the Night bonuses were awarded as UFC officials chose to reward two Fight of the Night contests instead.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| LOSS | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| LOSS | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Purses not publicly disclosed by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission. Figures reflect officially disclosed post-fight bonus awards ($50,000 each) distributed by the UFC for two Fight of the Night awards (Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje and Yancy Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira). Contractual show and win base purses were undisclosed by regulatory policy.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 218
UFC 218 became one of the rare events in promotional history where officials awarded two official Fight of the Night bonuses on the same card (Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje and Yancy Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira).
Francis Ngannou delivered one of the most violent knockouts in heavyweight history, finishing former K-1 Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem with a picture-perfect left uppercut at 1:42 of Round 1.
Max Holloway and José Aldo combined for 261 significant strikes across 14 minutes and 51 seconds, with Holloway landing 174 significant strikes in a relentless offensive display.
Max Holloway became the first fighter in mixed martial arts history to defeat legendary featherweight champion José Aldo by knockout/TKO in consecutive championship bouts.
Yancy Medeiros and Alex Oliveira produced a consensus 2017 Fight of the Year candidate that featured four official knockdowns (two each) before Medeiros sealed a third-round TKO.
UFC 218 marked the promotion’s debut at the newly built Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, setting a venue combat sports gate record of $2,000,000 with 17,587 fans in attendance.
Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez handed Justin Gaethje the first defeat of his professional career (18-1), breaking him down with body strikes before landing a third-round knockout knee.
Paul Felder survived multiple submission threats to become one of the few lightweights to ever stop submission ace Charles Oliveira with strikes, landing vicious elbows at 4:06 of Round 2.
Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo displayed elite wrestling control, racking up 9 minutes and 35 seconds of ground control across 15 minutes to sweep Sergio Pettis 30–27 on all scorecards.
Future light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes improved his undefeated record to 8-0, securing his first career UFC submission via rear-naked choke over Jeremy Kimball at 3:39 of Round 1.
Eight of the thirteen bouts on the card concluded inside the distance (7 knockouts and 1 submission), producing an electrifying 61.5% finish rate for the Detroit crowd.
Felice Herrig earned her fourth consecutive victory inside the Octagon by edging out Cortney Casey via split decision, establishing one of the longest active winning streaks in the strawweight division at the time.
When and where did UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2 take place?
UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2 took place on Saturday, December 2, 2017, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Who won the main event between Max Holloway and José Aldo?
Max Holloway successfully defended the UFC Featherweight Championship, defeating former champion José Aldo via TKO (punches) at 4:51 of Round 3 in their rematch.
How did Francis Ngannou defeat Alistair Overeem?
Francis Ngannou scored one of the most iconic knockouts in heavyweight history, stopping Alistair Overeem with a thunderous left uppercut via KO at 1:42 of Round 1 to secure the undisputed title shot.
Who won the post-fight bonuses at UFC 218?
In place of Performance of the Night awards, UFC handed out two Fight of the Night bonuses ($50,000 each) to Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje and Yancy Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira for their historic wars.
How did Eddie Alvarez hand Justin Gaethje his first career defeat?
Eddie Alvarez absorbed brutal leg kicks and battered Justin Gaethje with heavy body punches before landing a devastating knee to the head at 3:59 of Round 3, handing Gaethje his first professional loss.
What made Yancy Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira so memorable?
The preliminary bout featured four official knockdowns across a chaotic slugfest before Yancy Medeiros rallied to defeat Alex Oliveira via TKO at 2:02 of Round 3 in an all-time classic.
Who won the flyweight bout between Henry Cejudo and Sergio Pettis?
Henry Cejudo dominated the wrestling exchanges with three takedowns and over nine minutes of control time to defeat Sergio Pettis via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
How did Paul Felder defeat Charles Oliveira?
Paul Felder fought through submission attempts and grounded Oliveira, finishing the bout with heavy downward elbows to earn a TKO victory at 4:06 of Round 2.
What was the attendance and live gate for UFC 218?
UFC 218 drew an official sellout crowd of 17,587 fans producing a live gate of $2,000,000 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Who called the fights on the broadcast?
The pay-per-view telecast was called cageside by play-by-play lead Jon Anik alongside color analysts Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, with Bruce Buffer announcing in the Octagon.
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