This event was the second that the organization hosted in
Melbourne, with the first being
UFC 193 in November 2015. However, on November 1, Rockhold was ruled out of the contest due to a sprained
ACL. Subsequently, Souza was removed from the card entirely and is expected to be rescheduled for another event. In turn, a middleweight bout between
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight winner
Robert Whittaker and
Derek Brunson was elevated to serve as the event headliner. is widely known as the venue which hosts the annual
Australian Open in
tennis. As a result of the cancellation of
UFC Fight Night: Lamas vs. Penn, bouts between
Yao Zhikui vs.
Jenel Lausa and
Seo Hee Ham vs.
Danielle Taylor were rescheduled for this event. On October 21, it was announced that
Dominique Steele pulled out of his scheduled bout against
Kyle Noke due to an undisclosed injury and was replaced by
Omari Akhmedov.
The Ultimate Fighter: China featherweight winner
Ning Guangyou was expected to face
Marlon Vera at
UFC 202. However, due to an out-of-competition failed test and following investigation concluding Ning ingested the substance without fault or negligence, the bout was moved to
UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit. In turn, the bout was postponed again due to alleged
visa issues for Ning, which restricted the timing of his travel. The fight was later rescheduled for this event. ==Results==