UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 14
Introduction
UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero took place on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card drew 15,077 fans, an estimated $2.7 million gate, and a reported 700,000 pay-per-view buys. It was the third numbered UFC card of 2020 and the last UFC pay-per-view held in front of a full live crowd before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down mainstream sports the following week.
The card delivered one of the strangest contrasts in modern UFC history. The main event — the first middleweight title defense for Israel Adesanya — was loudly booed for the inactivity of both men, with a combined 128 significant strikes thrown across 25 minutes. The co-main — the first women's strawweight title defense for Zhang Weili — became, by consensus, the greatest fight in women's MMA history.
Adesanya retained via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) over Yoel Romero in a fight that became the canonical example of the championship-stalling problem. Zhang Weili retained via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) over Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a five-round war that was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing the following year.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, March 7, 2020
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 15,077
💰 Gate: $2,742,906
📺 PPV Buys: ~700,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Yoel Romero — UFC Middleweight Championship (185 lbs)
✅ Result: Adesanya def. Romero via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
🥇 Co-Main: Zhang Weili (c) def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — UFC Women's Strawweight Championship
The Build-Up
Adesanya entered as the freshly unified middleweight champion after his second-round KO of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019. The challenger was Yoel Romero — the 42-year-old Cuban Olympian, two-time former interim title challenger, and the most physically explosive middleweight in the division's history. Romero arrived after two consecutive losses but retained his promotional value.
Main Event: Adesanya vs. Romero
The fight was, by any technical measure, a disaster. Adesanya landed 90 significant strikes across five rounds. Romero landed 38. Combined: 128 significant strikes in 25 minutes. The boos started in round two and never stopped. Adesanya retained via scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
Co-Main Event: Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk
The co-main event has been re-watched more often than the main since fight night. Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk produced 25 minutes of striking exchanges with 257 significant strikes landed combined. The split decision: 48-47 Zhang, 47-48 Jedrzejczyk, 48-47 Zhang. The fight was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing in July 2021.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Israel Adesanya (c) def. Yoel Romero — Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) — Middleweight Title
Zhang Weili (c) def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk — Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — Women's Strawweight Title
Beneil Dariush def. Drakkar Klose — KO (punch) — R2, 1:00 — Lightweight (POTN)
Neil Magny def. Li Jingliang — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) — Welterweight
Sean O'Malley def. Jose Quinonez — KO (head kick and punches) — R1, 2:02 — Bantamweight (POTN)
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Alex Oliveira def. Max Griffin — Split Decision — Welterweight
Mark Madsen def. Austin Hubbard — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Lightweight
Gerald Meerschaert def. Deron Winn — Submission (guillotine) — R3, 1:13 — Middleweight
Rodolfo Vieira def. Saparbek Safarov — Submission (arm-triangle) — R1, 2:58 — Middleweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk — $50,000 each.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Beneil Dariush — $50,000 for the second-round KO of Drakkar Klose at 1:00.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Sean O'Malley — $50,000 for the first-round KO of Jose Quinonez at 2:02.
Records & Milestones
• Last UFC pay-per-view held in front of a full live crowd before COVID-19. Attendance: 15,077.
• Adesanya's first successful UFC Middleweight Championship defense.
• Lowest combined significant-strike total for any UFC middleweight title fight in the modern era: 128 (90 Adesanya, 38 Romero).
• Zhang Weili's first successful strawweight title defense.
• Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing in July 2021.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 248 is remembered as two cards in one. The main event became a cautionary tale about championship-stalling. The co-main became one of the canonical women's MMA fights. For the wider sport, UFC 248's date — March 7, 2020 — became one of the boundary markers between the pre-COVID and post-COVID eras of professional combat sports.
FAQ
Why was UFC 248's main event so heavily booed?
Combined significant strikes: 128 (90 for Adesanya, 38 for Romero) — the lowest output in any UFC middleweight title fight of the modern era. Both men spent long stretches at distance. The Las Vegas crowd of 15,077 made their feelings audible by the second round.
Did Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk get inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Yes. The fight was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing in July 2021 as part of the International Fight Week ceremony. It was the first women's strawweight bout enshrined.
Was UFC 248 really the last UFC pay-per-view before COVID?
Yes. The next numbered UFC card, UFC 249, took place on May 9, 2020 in Jacksonville — without a live crowd. The next event with a full crowd was UFC 261 on April 24, 2021 — a 14-month gap.
Who got bonuses at UFC 248?
Fight of the Night: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk ($50k each). Performance of the Night: Beneil Dariush (R2 KO of Klose at 1:00) and Sean O'Malley (R1 KO of Quinonez at 2:02).
Did Yoel Romero ever fight in the UFC again?
No. UFC 248 was Yoel Romero's final UFC fight. He was released from the promotion in March 2021 and announced his retirement in 2024.
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