The year 2016 was the 24th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.
2016 UFC.com awards
2016 UFC.COM AwardsNoBest FighterThe UpsetsThe SubmissionsThe NewcomersThe KnockoutsThe Fights1Michael BispingMichael Bisping defeats Luke Rockhold 2 UFC 199Ben Rothwell defeats Josh Barnett UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. BaderMickey GallLando Vannata defeats John Makdessi UFC 206Cub Swanson defeats Choi Doo-ho UFC 2062Stipe MiocicEric Spicely defeats Thiago Santos UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. LänsbergMiesha Tate defeats Holly Holm UFC 196Cris CyborgAnthony Johnson defeats Glover Teixeira UFC 202Conor McGregor defeats Nate Diaz 2 UFC 2023Conor McGregorMiesha Tate defeats Holly Holm UFC 196Brian Ortega defeats Diego Brandão UFC 195 Lando VannataDiego Rivas defeats Noad Lahat UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. ThompsonRobbie Lawler defeats Carlos Condit UFC 1954Dominick CruzBrandon Moreno defeats Louis Smolka UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. DodsonChas Skelly defeats Maximo Blanco UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. JohnsonMarlon MoraesYair Rodríguez defeats Andre Fili UFC 197Steve Bossé defeats Sean O'Connell UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson5Joanna JędrzejczykNate Diaz defeats Conor McGregor 1 UFC 196Teemu Packalén defeats Thibault Gouti UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. BispingBrandon MorenoStipe Miocic defeats Fabrício Werdum UFC 198Tyron Woodley defeats Stephen Thompson 1 UFC 2056Tyron WoodleyBryan Barberena defeats Warlley Alves UFC 198Keita Nakamura defeats Kyle Noke UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. LinekerMarc DiakieseDonald Cerrone defeats Matt Brown UFC 206Joanna Jędrzejczyk defeats Cláudia Gadelha 2 The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale7Stephen ThompsonBryan Barberena defeats Sage Northcutt UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. BaderDemian Maia defeats Matt Brown UFC 198Justin LedetMichael Bisping defeats Luke Rockhold UFC 199Polo Reyes defeats Dong Hyun Ma UFC 1998Gegard MousasiBryan Caraway defeats Aljamain Sterling UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. GarbrandtMichael McDonald defeats Masanori Kanehara UFC 195Josh EmmettTyron Woodley defeats Robbie Lawler UFC 201Donald Cerrone defeats Matt Brown UFC 2069Donald CerroneAndrew Holbrook defeats Jake Matthews UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. BrunsonEric Spicely defeats Thiago Santos UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. LänsbergAndrew SanchezDan Henderson defeats Héctor Lombard UFC 199Tony Ferguson defeats Rafael dos Anjos The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters Finale10Derrick LewisValentina Shevchenko defeats Holly Holm UFC on Fox: Holm vs. ShevchenkoFrancis Ngannou defeats Anthony Hamilton UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. AbdurakhimovMike PerryYoel Romero defeats Chris Weidman UFC 205Robert Whittaker defeats Derek Brunson UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. BrunsonRef 2016 by the numbers
The numbers below records the events, fights, techniques, champions and fighters held or performed for the year of 2016 in UFC. EventsNumber of EventsPPVContinentsCountriesCitiesFight Night Bonuses411341031164 Total $8,200,000Longest EventShortest EventHighest Income Live GateLowest Income Live GateHighest AttendanceLowest AttendanceUFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson 2:58:00UFC 203 1:28:10UFC 205 $17,700,000The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale $188,602UFC 198 45,207The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale 2,044Title FightsUndisputed Title FightsTitle ChangesChampions Remained in Their DivisionsNumber of ChampionsNumber of Interim ChampionsNumber of Title Defenses1943FLW – Demetrious JohnsonLHW – Daniel CormierWSW – Joanna Jędrzejczyk11210ChampionsDivisionBeginning of The YearEnd of The YearDivisionBeginning of The YearEnd of The YearHeavyweightFabrício WerdumStipe MiocicBantamweightT.J. DillashawCody GarbrandtLight HeavyweightDaniel CormierDaniel CormierFlyweightDemetrious JohnsonDemetrious JohnsonMiddleweightLuke RockholdMichael BispingWomen's BantamweightHolly HolmAmanda NunesWelterweightRobbie LawlerTyron WoodleyWomen's StrawweightJoanna JędrzejczykJoanna JędrzejczykLightweightRafael dos AnjosConor McGregorFeatherweightConor McGregorJosé AldoFightsMost Knockouts at A Single EventMost submissions at A Single EventMost Decisions at A Single EventTotal Number of FightsTotal Number of Cage TimeUFC 199 8UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez 6UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. BrunsonUFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping 1049391:31:14FightersNumber of FightersUFC DebutantsReleases / RetiredFighters SuspendedNumber of Fighters Missed weight(At the end of Dec 31, 2016) 550116N/AN/A22Champion feats Michael Bisping became the first British champion. Eddie Alvarez became the first fighter to win a UFC and Bellator championship. Conor McGregor became the first simultaneous two-division champion holding both the featherweight and lightweight titles.Fighter feats Noad Lahat became the first fighter in UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history to lose via a flying knee on two separate occasions. At UFC Fight Night 85, Neil Magny set a new record with 100 significant ground strikes, a mark later surpassed by Punahele Soriano in June 2024. At UFC Fight Night 86, Junior dos Santos set a single‑fight record with 92 significant body strikes, a mark later surpassed by Max Holloway in January 2021. At age 45, Dan Henderson became the oldest fighter in UFC history to earn a knockout victory. At UFC Fight Night 94, Chas Skelly recorded a 19‑second submission, setting a new mark for the fastest submission in UFC/WEC featherweight history. By missing weight for the fifth time, John Lineker set the record for the most weight‑misses in UFC history. Conor McGregor became the first fighter in UFC history to earn Post‑Fight bonuses in eight consecutive bouts.
Debut UFC fighters The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2016:
Fighter Division Abdul Razak Alhassan Welterweight Adam Milstead Heavyweight Albert Morales Bantamweight Alberto Uda Middleweight Alessandro Ricci Lightweight Alessio Di Chirico Middleweight Alex Morono Welterweight Alex Nicholson Middleweight Alexander Volkanovski Lightweight Alexa Grasso Women's Strawweight Amanda Cooper Women's Strawweight Andrew Sanchez Middleweight Anna Elmose Women's Strawweight Ashley Yoder Women's Strawweight Augusto Mendes Bantamweight Belal Muhammad Welterweight Bojan Veličković Welterweight Brandon Moreno Flyweight Brett Johns Bantamweight Brian Camozzi Welterweight Cris Cyborg Women's Featherweight CM Punk Welterweight Charlie Ward Middleweight Chase Sherman Heavyweight Chris Avila Featherweight Christian Colombo Heavyweight Claudio Puelles Lightweight Cody East Heavyweight Cory Hendricks Light Heavyweight Cristina Stanciu Women's Strawweight Curtis Blaydes Heavyweight Cyril Asker Heavyweight Damian Grabowski Heavyweight Damir Hadžović Lightweight Danielle Taylor Women's Strawweight Darrell Horcher Lightweight
Fighter Division Darren Stewart Light Heavyweight David Teymur Lightweight Damien Brown Lightweight Devin Clark Light Heavyweight Dmitry Smolyakov Heavyweight Elvis Mutapčić Middleweight Emil Weber Meek Welterweight Eric Spicely Middleweight Filip Pejić Bantamweight Felipe Olivieri Lightweight Felipe Silva Lightweight Gadzhimurad Antigulov Light Heavyweight Gerald Meerschaert Middleweight Gregor Gillespie Lightweight Hector Sandoval Flyweight Henrique da Silva Light Heavyweight Ion Cuțelaba Light Heavyweight Irene Aldana Women's Bantamweight J.C. Cottrell Lightweight Jack Hermansson Middleweight Jarjis Danho Heavyweight Jason Gonzalez Lightweight Jason Novelli Lightweight Jenel Lausa Flyweight Jeremy Kennedy Featherweight Jessin Ayari Welterweight Jim Wallhead Welterweight Joe Gigliotti Middleweight Joey Gomez Bantamweight Joachim Christensen Light Heavyweight Jonathan Meunier Welterweight Jordan Rinaldi Lightweight Josh Emmett Lightweight Josh Stansbury Light Heavyweight Justin Ledet Heavyweight Katlyn Chookagian Women's Bantamweight
Fighter Division Kelly Faszholz Women's Bantamweight Ketlen Vieira Women's Bantamweight Khalil Rountree Jr. Light Heavyweight Kyle Bochniak Featherweight Lando Vannata Lightweight Leonardo Guimarães Middleweight Lina Länsberg Women's Bantamweight Luan Chagas Welterweight Luke Sanders Bantamweight Marc Diakiese Lightweight Mark Godbeer Heavyweight Marcin Tybura Heavyweight Martin Bravo Featherweight Martin Svensson Featherweight Marvin Vettori Middleweight Matt Schnell Flyweight Matthew Lopez Bantamweight Max Griffin Welterweight Mehdi Baghdad Lightweight Mickey Gall Welterweight Michael McBride Lightweight Mike Jackson Welterweight Mike Perry Welterweight Niko Price Welterweight Paul Craig Light Heavyweight Randy Brown Welterweight Ricky Glenn Featherweight Ryan Janes Middleweight Sabah Homasi Welterweight Saparbek Safarov Light Heavyweight Shane Burgos Featherweight Tatiana Suarez Women's Strawweight Thibault Gouti Lightweight Tyson Pedro Light Heavyweight Veronica Macedo Women's Bantamweight Viviane Pereira Women's Strawweight Will Brooks Lightweight Zak Ottow Welterweight
The Ultimate Fighter SeasonFinaleDivisionWinnerRunner-upTUF 23: Team Joanna vs. Team CláudiaJuly 8, 2016Light HeavyweightAndrew SanchezKhalil Rountree Jr.Women's StrawweightTatiana SuarezAmanda CooperTUF: Latin America 3November 5, 2016LightweightMartín BravoClaudio PuellesTUF 24: Tournament of ChampionsDecember 3, 2016FlyweightTim ElliottHiromasa Ogikubo
Title fights
Events list