UFC 225

A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between current champion Robert Whittaker and former interim title challenger (as well as 2000 Olympic silver medalist and former world champion in freestyle wrestling) Yoel Romero served as the event headliner.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mmanews.com/robert-whittaker-vs-yoel-romero-2-in-the-works-for-ufc-225/|title=Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero 2 in the works for UFC 225|publisher=mmanews.com|author=Fernando Quilles Jr. |date=2018-03-09|access-date=2018-03-09}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ufc.com/news/Whittaker-Romero-2-headlines-UFC-225-in-June|title=Whittaker-Romero 2 headlines UFC 225 in June|publisher=ufc.com|author=Thomas Gerbasi|date=2018-03-14|access-date=2018-03-15}} The pairing previously met in July 2017 at UFC 213 with Whittaker winning the interim title via unanimous decision.{{Cite web|url=http://mmajunkie.com/2017/07/ufc-213-results-robert-whittaker-unanimous-decision-win-yoel-romero-interim-middleweight-title|title=UFC 213 results: Robert Whittaker earns decision over Yoel Romero for interim middleweight title|publisher=mmajunkie.com|author=Simon Simano|date=2017-07-09|access-date=2018-03-15}}

However at the weigh-ins, Romero initially weighed in at 186 pounds, 1 pound over the middleweight limit for a title fight. Romero was given additional time to make weight, but he weighed in at 185.2 pounds. The commission initially gave him an additional 2 hours, but after an hour Romero was made to stop cutting weight, and the bout proceeded as a non-title contest. He was fined 30 percent of his purse, which went to Whittaker.{{cite news|url=https://mmajunkie.com/2018/06/robert-whittaker-vs-yoel-romero-weigh-in-non-title-bout-ufc-225|title=Champ Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero agree to non-title bout at UFC 225|publisher=mmajunkie.com|author=Staff|date=2018-06-08|access-date=2018-06-09}}

An interim UFC Welterweight Championship bout between former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington (initially linked to UFC 224 a month earlier) served as the co-main event.{{Cite news|url=http://mmajunkie.com/2018/04/colby-covington-vs-rafael-dos-anjos-interim-title-ufc-225-chicago-mma|title=Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington interim title fight set for UFC 225 in Chicago – not Rio|publisher=mmajunkie.com|author=Staff|date=2018-04-06|access-date=2018-04-06}}

Rashad Coulter was scheduled to face Allen Crowder at the event. However, on May 12, it was announced that Chris de la Rocha has replaced Crowder for undisclosed reasons.{{Cite news|url=https://mmajunkie.com/2018/05/allen-crowder-out-rashad-coulter-chris-de-la-rocha-ufc-225-chicago|title=With Allen Crowder out, Rashad Coulter gets new UFC 225 opponent|publisher=mmajunkie.com|author=Staff|date=2018-04-12|access-date=2018-04-14}}

Bobby Green was scheduled to face Clay Guida at the event. However, on May 29, Green suffered an injury on his right knee and was replaced by Charles Oliveira.{{Cite news|url=https://mmajunkie.com/2018/05/charles-oliveira-vs-clay-guida-ufc-225-short-notice-bobby-green-withdraws|title=Charles Oliveira in to fight Clay Guida at UFC 225 after Bobby Green withdraws|publisher=mmajunkie.com|author=Staff|date=2018-05-29|access-date=2018-05-30}}{{Cite news|url=https://mmajunkie.com/2018/06/mma-injury-report-luke-rockhold-leg-curtis-blaydes-knee-bobby-green-ufc|title=MMA Injury Report: Luke Rockhold's nasty shin update, Curtis Blaydes out until November|date=2018-06-13|work=MMAjunkie|access-date=2018-06-13|language=en-US}}

{{MMAevent}}

{{MMAevent card|Main Card}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Middleweight

|Robert Whittaker (c)

|def.

|Yoel Romero

|Decision (split) (47–48, 48–47, 48–47)

|5

|5:00

|Non-title bout; Romero missed weight (185.2 lb).

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Welterweight

|Colby Covington

|def.

|Rafael dos Anjos

|Decision (unanimous) (49–46, 48–47, 48–47)

|5

|5:00

|For the interim UFC Welterweight Championship.

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Women's Featherweight

|Holly Holm

|def.

|Megan Anderson

|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–26, 30–26)

|3

|5:00

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Heavyweight

|Tai Tuivasa

|def.

|Andrei Arlovski

|Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)

|3

|5:00

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Welterweight

|CM Punk

|vs.

|Mike Jackson

|No Contest (overturned)

|3

|5:00

|Originally a unanimous decision (30–26, 30–26, 30–26) win for Jackson; overturned after he tested positive for marijuana.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/07/ufc-news-cm-punk-vs-mike-jackson-decision-overturned-no-contest-marijuana|title=CM Punk's UFC 225 loss overturned due to Mike Jackson's positive marijuana test|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Nolan King|date=2021-07-07|access-date=2021-07-07}}

}}

{{MMAevent card|Preliminary card (Fox Sports 1)|header=no}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Heavyweight

|Curtis Blaydes

|def.

|Alistair Overeem

|TKO (elbows)

|3

|2:56

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Women's Strawweight

|Cláudia Gadelha

|def.

|Carla Esparza

|Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)

|3

|5:00

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Featherweight

|Mirsad Bektić

|def.

|Ricardo Lamas

|Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 30–27)

|3

|5:00

|

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Heavyweight

|Chris de la Rocha

|def.

|Rashad Coulter

|TKO (punches)

|2

|3:53

|

}}

{{MMAevent card|Preliminary card (UFC Fight Pass)|header=no}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Light Heavyweight

|Anthony Smith

|def.

|Rashad Evans

|KO (knee)

|1

|0:53

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Flyweight

|Sergio Pettis

|def.

|Joseph Benavidez

|Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 30–27)

|3

|5:00

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Lightweight

|Charles Oliveira

|def.

|Clay Guida

|Submission (guillotine choke)

|1

|2:18

}}

{{MMAevent bout

|Featherweight

|Dan Ige

|def.

|Mike Santiago

|TKO (punches)

|1

|0:50

}}

{{MMAevent end|notes=yes}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.ufc.com/event/Ufc-225|title=UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2|publisher=Ultimate Fighting Championship|access-date=2018-02-04}}

The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:{{Cite news|url=https://mmajunkie.com/2018/06/ufc-225-bonuses-robert-whittaker-lands-100000-thanks-to-yoel-romero-ineligibility|title=UFC 225 bonuses: Robert Whittaker lands $100,000 thanks to Yoel Romero ineligibility|publisher=mmajunkie.com|author=Staff|date=2018-06-10|access-date=2018-06-10}}

• Fight of the Night ($100,000): Robert Whittaker (Yoel Romero was unable to receive his share of the bonus money due to missing weight).
• Performance of the Night: Curtis Blaydes and Charles Oliveira

On July 7, 2021, it was announced that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation overturned Mike Jackson's unanimous decision win against CM Punk to a no contest due to a marijuana positive test on fight night. He was officially suspended for three months retroactive to the date of the fight. The decision wasn't reported publicly until July 2021.

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