Background

This will be the third event that the organization has hosted in Atlanta, following UFC 88 in September of 2008 and UFC 145 in April of 2012.^[1]

The event will be headlined by a UFC Welterweight Championship bout between current champion Robbie Lawler and top contenderTyron Woodley.^[2]

A UFC Flyweight Championship bout between current champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger Wilson Reis was expected to serve as the co-main event.^[3] However on July 8, it was announced that Johnson pulled out due to an undisclosed injury and the bout was postponed.^[4] Reis was expected to remain on the card against promotional newcomer Sean Santella,^[5] but a few days later Santella announced the bout was scrapped because the UFC said “he needed to get more medicals done and there wasn’t enough time”.^[6] In turn, Reis will now face Hector Sandoval.^[7]

Cláudio Silva was expected to face Siyar Bahadurzada at the event. However on June 16, Silva pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Jorge Masvidal.^[8] In turn, Bahadurzada pulled out of the bout on July 12 citing an illness and was replaced by The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom winner Ross Pearson.^[9][10] Pearson fought only 22 days before the event, when he lost an unanimous decision to former Bellator Lightweight Champion Will Brooks at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale.

Ray Borg was expected to face Fredy Serrano at the event, but pulled out on July 21 due to injury and was replaced by Ryan Benoit.^[11]

Justin Scoggins was expected to face Ian McCall in a flyweight bout. However, only 2 days before the event, Scoggins announced he had struggles during the weight cut and was not going to make the contracted weight. The UFC pulled Scoggins, canceled the bout and McCall will still weigh in as an alternate. Scoggins announced he will move to bantamweight for his next fight.^[12]

Official fight card