Introduction
UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso. September 27, 2014. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The event was originally planned to be headlined by Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch of UFC 165. Gustafsson withdrew with a torn meniscus. Daniel Cormier replaced him. Jones and Cormier brawled at a media day on August 4 in a confrontation that generated the sport’s most widely discussed pre-fight incident of 2014. Jones then pulled out with a leg injury on August 12. The fight was rescheduled to UFC 182.
The actual main event was a UFC Flyweight Championship bout: Demetrious Johnson submitted Chris Cariaso with a kimura at 2:29 of round two for his fifth consecutive flyweight title defence. Conor McGregor knocked out Dustin Poirier in round one. Dominick Cruz returned from a nearly three-year absence with a 61-second TKO of Takeya Mizugaki. Yoel Romero defeated Tim Kennedy by third-round TKO in the controversial 'Stoolgate' fight. The event drew 205,000 PPV buys — among the lowest of the year, directly resulting from Jones’ withdrawal.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: September 27, 2014
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Attendance: 10,544; Gate: $2,200,000; PPV: 205,000 (low due to Jones withdrawal)
Main Event: Demetrious Johnson (c) vs. Chris Cariaso — UFC Flyweight Championship (ORIGINALLY: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2, then Jones vs. Cormier)
Result: Johnson def. Cariaso — Submission (kimura) — R2, 2:29 — fifth flyweight title defence
Notable: Jones-Cormier MEDIA DAY BRAWL Aug 4 (Jones fined $50k, Cormier $9k by NSAC); Jones pulled out (leg injury) Aug 12; McGregor TKO Poirier R1; Cruz returns (TKO Mizugaki 61 sec); Romero-Kennedy 'Stoolgate' controversy; FOTN: Romero/Kennedy; POTN: Cruz + McGregor
The Build-Up
Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 was announced after their UFC 165 instant classic. Gustafsson suffered a knee injury and withdrew; Cormier replaced him. On August 4, Jones and Cormier met for a promotional staredown. Jones placed his forehead against Cormier’s. Cormier pushed him. Jones lunged back and both tumbled off the stage. A brief brawl followed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined both fighters 10 percent of their purses — $50,000 for Jones and $9,000 for Cormier — and ordered community service. On August 12, Jones withdrew with a leg injury. The card was reorganised with DJ elevated to headline.
Main Event
Demetrious Johnson (c) vs. Chris Cariaso — UFC Flyweight Championship
Johnson controlled Cariaso with a mix of wrestling, clinch knees, and striking. Cariaso had no effective answer for the champion’s speed and versatility. In the second round, Johnson took Cariaso down, isolated his arm, and finished with a kimura at 2:29 — his fifth consecutive flyweight title defence and his first career win by kimura.
Co-Main Event
Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez — Lightweight
The co-main event was the UFC debut of former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Donald Cerrone broke Alvarez down with leg kicks over the second and third rounds and won a unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards), extending his win streak.
Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy — Middleweight ('Stoolgate')
Kennedy badly hurt Romero with a flurry at the end of round two — Romero was likely saved by the bell. Between rounds, Romero remained seated on his stool well past the 10-second warning while officials dealt with excess vaseline on his face, gaining roughly half a minute of extra recovery time. Romero then came out and finished Kennedy by TKO at 0:58 of round three. Kennedy protested furiously and considered an appeal, but the NSAC indicated it would be unlikely to succeed. The 'Stoolgate' controversy defined the fight’s legacy.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Manny Gamburyan def. Cody Gibson — Submission (guillotine choke) — R2, 4:56 — BW (Fight Pass)
Kevin Lee def. Jon Tuck — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-26 x3) — LW; Lee’s UFC debut (Fight Pass)
Brian Ebersole def. John Howard — Decision (Split) — R3 — WW
Stephen Thompson def. Patrick Côté — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW
Jorge Masvidal def. James Krause — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — LW
Dominick Cruz def. Takeya Mizugaki — TKO — R1, 1:01 — BW; Cruz returns after nearly 3-year absence; POTN ($50k) — featured prelim
Main Card
Cat Zingano def. Amanda Nunes — TKO — R3, 1:21 — Women’s BW
Yoel Romero def. Tim Kennedy — TKO — R3, 0:58 — MW; 'Stoolgate' controversy; FOTN ($50k each)
Conor McGregor def. Dustin Poirier — TKO — R1, 1:46 — FW; McGregor’s PPV debut; POTN ($50k)
Donald Cerrone def. Eddie Alvarez — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28 x3) — LW; Co-Main; Alvarez’s UFC debut
UFC Flyweight Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Demetrious Johnson def. Chris Cariaso — Submission (kimura) — R2, 2:29 — Flyweight Championship; fifth title defence
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance of the Night: Dominick Cruz + Conor McGregor — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Dominick Cruz — returned after a nearly three-year absence (last fight October 2011) due to multiple knee injuries. Stopped Mizugaki in 61 seconds. Cruz had been the undisputed BW champion before his injury run.
Jones-Cormier media day brawl — the most publicised pre-fight physical altercation since the UFC had entered the mainstream era; the NSAC fined Jones $50,000 and Cormier $9,000 (10 percent of their respective purses).
205,000 PPV buys — among the lowest UFC PPV buyrates of 2014; directly attributed to Jones’ withdrawal.
Legacy & Impact
The Jones-Cormier media day brawl was the beginning of the sport’s most enduring rivalry narrative. Cormier, a two-time Olympic wrestler who was unbeaten in MMA, and Jones, the dominant light heavyweight champion, fought on a stage in Las Vegas before their scheduled title fight and generated more interest than most actual PPV events. The brawl gave UFC 182 — where they eventually fought — a build-up that required no additional promotion.
Romero vs. Kennedy cemented both fighters’ reputations — Kennedy as a legitimate MW threat, Romero as one of the most controversial and compelling fighters in the division. Kennedy weighed an appeal over the 'Stoolgate' incident, but the NSAC signalled it would not succeed and the result stood.
FAQ
What happened at the Jones-Cormier media day brawl before UFC 178?
Jones and Cormier met for a promotional staredown on August 4. Jones rested his forehead against Cormier's. Cormier pushed him away. Jones lunged and both fell off the stage. A brief brawl followed. The NSAC fined Jones $50,000 and Cormier $9,000 — 10 percent of their respective purses — plus community service.
Why did UFC 178 end up being headlined by Johnson vs. Cariaso?
Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 became Jones vs. Cormier after Gustafsson withdrew. Then Jones pulled out with a leg injury on August 12, forcing another reorganisation. DJ vs. Cariaso was elevated from the card.
Was the Kennedy vs. Romero stoppage controversial at UFC 178?
Yes. Kennedy had Romero badly hurt at the end of round two. Between rounds two and three, Romero stayed on his stool well past the 10-second warning while officials removed excess vaseline from his face, gaining extra recovery time — an incident dubbed 'Stoolgate'. Romero then finished Kennedy by TKO at 0:58 of round three. Kennedy considered an appeal but the NSAC indicated it would not succeed.
Was UFC 178 Dominick Cruz's return from injury?
Yes. Cruz had been the UFC BW Champion but suffered multiple knee injuries. UFC 178 was his first fight in nearly three years — he had last fought in October 2011. He stopped Mizugaki in 61 seconds of round one.
Was UFC 178 Conor McGregor's first major PPV appearance?
UFC 178 was McGregor's first appearance on a numbered PPV main card. He had previously fought at UFC Fight Nights. His TKO of Poirier was one of the card's highlights and earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.