UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya
United States
Main Card • Final
Poland
R5, 5:00
Title Fight
Nigeria
Brazil
R1, 2:03
Title Fight
Australia
R4, 4:29
Title Fight
Russia
R3, 1:37
Serbia
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
China
R3, 5:00
New Zealand
R1, 4:55
Performance of the Night
Early Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
R2, 3:19
Fight of the Night
R3, 3:28
R1, 3:39
R1, 1:40
Performance of the Night
Guam
R2, 0:47
Official Event Results
Title Bout
Title Bout
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients (Preliminary Card Sweep)
Fight of the Night: Kennedy Nzechukwu and Carlos Ulberg each received $50,000 for their wild, high-impact light heavyweight slugfest, which saw Nzechukwu rally from heavy early damage to stop Ulberg in Round 2.
Performance of the Night: Kai Kara-France earned $50,000 for his dramatic first-round comeback knockout over Rogério Bontorin with just five seconds left in the opening round (4:55).
Performance of the Night: Uroš Medić collected $50,000 for a flawless promotional debut, landing 45 significant strikes without absorbing a single strike to stop Aalon Cruz in 1:40.
*Notable Milestone: In a rare UFC pay-per-view occurrence, all four official $50,000 post-fight bonuses were captured entirely by preliminary card competitors.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $750,000 | — | — | $750,000 | |
| LOSS | $1,000,000 | — | — | $1,000,000 | |
| WIN | $350,000 | $100,000 | — | $450,000 | |
| LOSS | $125,000 | — | — | $125,000 | |
| WIN | $100,000 | $100,000 | — | $200,000 | |
| LOSS | $150,000 | — | — | $150,000 | |
| WIN | $80,000 | $80,000 | — | $160,000 | |
| LOSS | $53,000 | — | — | $53,000 | |
| WIN | $55,000 | $55,000 | — | $110,000 | |
| LOSS | $110,000 | — | — | $110,000 | |
| WIN | $90,000 | $90,000 | — | $180,000 | |
| LOSS | $27,000 | — | — | $27,000 | |
| WIN | $14,000 | $14,000 | — | $28,000 | |
| LOSS | $45,000 | — | — | $45,000 | |
| WIN | $20,000 | $20,000 | — | $36,000* | |
| LOSS | $86,000 | — | — | $90,000* | |
| WIN | $42,000 | $42,000 | $50,000 | $134,000 | |
| LOSS | $20,000 | — | — | $20,000 | |
| WIN | $38,000 | $38,000 | — | $76,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 | |
| WIN | $15,000 | $15,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | $50,000 | $60,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 | |
| LOSS | $40,000 | — | — | $40,000 | |
| WIN | $20,000 | $20,000 | — | $40,000 | |
| LOSS | $23,000 | — | — | $23,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | $50,000 | $70,000 | |
| LOSS | $12,000 | — | — | $12,000 | |
| WIN | $14,000 | $14,000 | — | $28,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 |
*Disclosed purses and estimated payouts based on contractual baselines, commission reports, and official UFC bonus awards. Figures include official $50,000 post-fight performance bonuses. Askar Askarov missed weight at 127 lbs (1 lb over the flyweight non-title limit) and forfeited 20% of his purse ($4,000), which was awarded to Joseph Benavidez.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 259
Aljamain Sterling became the first fighter in UFC history to win an undisputed championship via disqualification after champion Petr Yan landed an intentional illegal knee to a downed opponent in Round 4.
UFC 259 marked only the seventh event in UFC history to feature three world championship title fights on a single fight card (Light Heavyweight, Women’s Featherweight, and Bantamweight).
Jan Błachowicz handed undefeated middleweight champion Israel Adesanya the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career (20-1-0), halting Adesanya’s attempt to become a two-division simultaneous champion.
Amanda Nunes became the first fighter in UFC history to hold and simultaneously defend undisputed world titles across two weight classes (bantamweight and featherweight), submitting Megan Anderson in 2:03.
Amanda Nunes extended her winning streak to 12 consecutive bouts, tying legends Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson for the third-longest winning streak in promotional history.
In a rare promotional occurrence, all four official $50,000 post-fight performance bonuses were captured exclusively by preliminary card fighters (Nzechukwu, Ulberg, Kara-France, and Medić).
Kennedy Nzechukwu absorbed 146 significant strikes from promotional newcomer Carlos Ulberg before dramatically rallying to finish Ulberg via second-round knockout at 3:19.
Kai Kara-France escaped deep rear-naked choke submission attempts from Rogério Bontorin to land a crushing walk-off right hand with only five seconds remaining in Round 1 (4:55).
Tim Elliott logged 13 minutes and 19 seconds of ground control time against Jordan Espinosa, earning a lopsided 30-25 scorecard in one of the most dominant three-round flyweight decisions on record.
Uroš Medić made a sensational promotional debut by landing 45 significant strikes and absorbing zero significant strikes in a 1:40 first-round blitz over Aalon Cruz.
Islam Makhachev controlled Drew Dober for 9 minutes and 26 seconds while restricting Dober to zero takedown attempts and only 10 significant strikes, securing an arm-triangle submission in Round 3.
UFC 259 generated an estimated 800,000 pay-per-view buys worldwide, making it one of the most commercially successful closed-door events in mixed martial arts history.
When and where did UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya take place?
UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya took place on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Who won the main event between Jan Błachowicz and Israel Adesanya?
UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz defeated middleweight champion Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–45, 49–45), utilizing superior power and late takedowns to retain his title.
How did Aljamain Sterling become bantamweight champion at UFC 259?
Aljamain Sterling won the title via disqualification (illegal knee) at 4:29 of Round 4 after defending champion Petr Yan delivered an intentional, illegal knee strike to Sterling while he was a grounded opponent.
Was Aljamain Sterling the first fighter to win a UFC title via disqualification?
Yes. Aljamain Sterling became the first competitor in UFC history to win an undisputed championship by disqualification.
How did Amanda Nunes defeat Megan Anderson?
Two-division champion Amanda Nunes dominated Megan Anderson, stunning her with power punches before securing a triangle armbar submission at 2:03 of Round 1 to defend her featherweight title.
Who won post-fight bonuses at UFC 259?
Four fighters received $50,000 bonuses: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Carlos Ulberg won Fight of the Night, while Kai Kara-France and Uroš Medić each earned Performance of the Night.
Did preliminary card fighters sweep all bonus awards at UFC 259?
Yes. In a rare promotional occurrence, all four $50,000 performance bonuses were awarded entirely to fighters competing on the early preliminary and preliminary cards.
Was this the first career loss for Israel Adesanya?
Yes. Prior to UFC 259, Israel Adesanya held an unblemished 20-0-0 professional MMA record. His unanimous decision loss to Jan Błachowicz marked his first professional mixed martial arts defeat.
How did Islam Makhachev defeat Drew Dober?
Islam Makhachev executed three takedowns and racked up over 9 minutes of ground control before submitting Drew Dober with an arm-triangle choke at 1:37 of Round 3.
Did any fighters miss weight at UFC 259?
Yes. Flyweight contender Askar Askarov weighed in at 127 pounds, 1 pound over the non-title limit. He was fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to opponent Joseph Benavidez.
Who won the featured preliminary bout between Dominick Cruz and Casey Kenney?
Former two-time bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defeated Casey Kenney via split decision (28–29, 29–28, 30–27), outlanding Kenney 89 to 74 in significant strikes.
How did Kai Kara-France finish Rogério Bontorin?
After surviving heavy submission attacks on his back for over three minutes, Kai Kara-France broke free and landed a walk-off knockout combination at 4:55 of Round 1.
How many pay-per-view buys did UFC 259 generate?
UFC 259 generated an estimated 800,000 pay-per-view buys worldwide, making it one of the premier commercial successes of the promotion’s closed-door pandemic era.
Were fans in attendance at UFC 259?
No. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the event was held behind closed doors inside the UFC Apex with only essential personnel, broadcast teams, and corners present.
Who called the fights for UFC 259?
The broadcast desk featured play-by-play lead Jon Anik alongside color commentators Joe Rogan and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier, with Bruce Buffer announcing.
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