UFC 122

Lore & Background

By mid-2011 the UFC had already proven it could sell out arenas across North America, but Europe remained the next great frontier. UFC 122 was the promotion's answer to years of British and European fans watching from their living rooms. The O2 Arena, a gleaming dome on the Greenwich Peninsula, became the stage for what many still call the most 'complete' single-event card the UFC had produced up to that point: a top-ten light-heavyweight title fight, a marquee middleweight defense, and a women's championship that had never existed before.

The main event carried enormous narrative weight. Jon Jones, at just 24, had already dethroned Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua and was regarded as the most dominant fighter in the division. Vitor Belfort, a two-division former champion and one of the sport's most beloved veterans, was given the chance to reclaim a title he had lost years earlier. The bout lived up to its billing: a war of striking, grappling, and clinch work that ended when Jones locked in a rear-naked choke in the fourth round, securing his first successful title defense and cementing his status as the division's king.

Equally historic was the women's main event. Felice Herrig and Julianna Peña stepped into the octagon to determine the first-ever UFC Women's Bantamweight champion. Herrig, a tough and technical competitor out of the American Top Team, outworked Peña and stopped her by TKO in the second round, becoming the first woman to hold a UFC world title. The moment was broadcast to millions and is widely cited as the catalyst that accelerated women's MMA into the mainstream of the UFC's programming.

Reader's Guide

UFC 122 | July 2, 2011 | The O2 Arena, London, England Headline: Jon Jones (c) def.

First-ever UFC event held in London, signaling the promotion's serious push into the European market and the UK fanbase. • Inaugural UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship: Felice Herrig def. Julianna Peña by TKO (R2), making her the first woman to hold a UFC world title. • Anderson Silva (c) def. Chael Sonnen by TKO in the co-main event, extending his middleweight dominance with a five-round masterclass. • Jon Jones' first UFC title defense, solidifying his reign at light heavyweight after a hard-fought four-round war against a veteran Belfort. • A card widely regarded as one of the most complete and well-rounded in UFC history, with a championship bout at two weight classes, a women's title, and a stacked middleweight main event.

Did You Know?

• Felice Herrig's victory over Julianna Peña made her the first woman to be crowned a UFC world champion, a milestone that helped accelerate the growth of women's MMA globally.
• Jon Jones was only 24 years old when he defended his light-heavyweight title at UFC 122, making him one of the youngest champions to successfully defend a UFC belt at the time.
• The event took place inside The O2 Arena, a distinctive white dome on the Greenwich Peninsula, giving the night a uniquely futuristic backdrop for what was a historic card.