A
UFC Heavyweight Championship rematch bout between current two-time champion
Stipe Miocic and
Francis Ngannou headlined this event. The pairing met previously at
UFC 220 on January 20, 2018, where Miocic won via unanimous decision and broke the record for most consecutive title defenses for the division with his third. A
UFC Featherweight Championship bout between current champion
Alexander Volkanovski and former title challenger
Brian Ortega would have served as the co-main event. However, the fight was cancelled a week before taking place as Volkanovski
tested positive for COVID-19. The pairing was later rescheduled for
UFC 266.
Johnny Walker was expected to face
Jimmy Crute in a light heavyweight bout at the event. However, Walker pulled out of the fight in early February citing a chest injury. Promotion officials elected to remove Crute from the card and reschedule him against
Anthony Smith the following month at
UFC 261. A heavyweight bout between former
WSOF Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov and
Marcin Tybura was scheduled to take place at the event. However, Ivanov was pulled from the bout in late February, citing an injury. Tybura is now expected to compete against
Walt Harris at
UFC Fight Night 193 on June 5. A women's flyweight bout between
Gillian Robertson and
Miranda Maverick was scheduled for
UFC 258, but it was cancelled on the day of the event after Robertson had a non-COVID related illness. They eventually met at this event. A women's strawweight bout between
Randa Markos and promotional newcomer
Luana Pinheiro was expected to take place at the event. However, Markos was removed from the card on March 18 after
testing positive for COVID-19. The pairing was left intact and rescheduled five weeks later at
UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka. Former
Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and
UFC Women's Strawweight Championship challenger
Jessica Penne and
Hannah Goldy were expected to meet in a women's strawweight bout at the event. However, on March 24, Goldy tested positive for COVID-19 and the bout was postponed. The pairing remained intact and was rescheduled for
UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum. A light heavyweight bout between
Alonzo Menifield and
William Knight was originally expected to take place at
UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane. However, the bout was postponed during the week leading up to the event after Menifield tested positive for COVID-19. The bout was then rescheduled for this event, but this time Knight was removed due to COVID-19 protocols and was replaced by promotional newcomer
Fabio Cherant. At the weight-ins, Cherant weighted 206.5 pounds, half a pound over the non-title light heavyweight limit. His bout proceeded at a catchweight and he was fined 20% of his individual purse, which went to Menifield. This was the final event under the UFC's outfitting policy with
Reebok. ==Results==