UFC Fight Night 178: Covington vs. Woodley | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- May 21
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 178: Covington vs. Woodley took place on September 19, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 11, the fourth consecutive Saturday card at the facility in September. The event headlined one of the most intensely personal rivalries in welterweight history: Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley, former teammates turned bitter enemies, settling scores in a fight that had been building for years.
Covington stopped Woodley in round five via TKO after Woodley was unable to continue due to a rib injury. The card also introduced Khamzat Chimaev to a wider audience: the unbeaten Swedish-Chechen submitted Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds, his most emphatic UFC performance yet. Mackenzie Dern submitted Randa Markos, Damon Jackson earned a bonus win over Mirsad Bektic, and Randy Costa’s spectacular KO of Journey Newson completed a four-man Performance of the Night sweep.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, September 19, 2020
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 11)
👥 Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors — COVID-19 pandemic)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN / ESPN+ (UFC on ESPN+ 36)
🏆 Main Event: Colby Covington vs. Tyron Woodley — Welterweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Colby Covington def. Tyron Woodley via TKO (Rib Injury) (Round 5)
🥇 Champion: Title not on the line
The Build-Up
Covington and Woodley were former American Top Team teammates who had developed an intensely public rivalry. Woodley had served as the UFC Welterweight Champion from 2016 to 2019, defending the belt four times. Covington had been a constant thorn in his side, calling him out publicly, questioning his heart, and making the fight one of the most anticipated welterweight matchups of the era. The event was originally scheduled for September 26 but was moved up a week.
Woodley had suffered a controversial split decision loss to Kamaru Usman in his previous fight at UFC 235, ending his title reign. Covington had similarly lost to Usman in a five-round TKO at UFC 245. Both men needed a big win. The pre-fight narrative was full of genuine animosity — more so than most trash-talk rivalries in the sport. The fight also featured Khamzat Chimaev in a much-anticipated return bout against Gerald Meerschaert, just weeks after Chimaev had established himself as one of the sport’s most explosive new talents.
Main Event: Covington vs. Woodley
Colby Covington stopped Tyron Woodley in round five after Woodley suffered a rib injury and could not continue. The fight was competitive and hard-fought across the first four rounds, with Covington’s relentless pace and pressure steadily wearing down the former champion. Covington’s wrestling and volume were the key differentiators: he kept Woodley against the fence, denied him the space to generate his signature right hand, and ground him down.
In round five, Woodley was unable to continue due to a rib injury sustained during the fight. The TKO stoppage was controversial for some observers given the injury nature of the finish, but Covington had been winning convincingly on the scorecards regardless. The win restored Covington’s status as the leading welterweight contender and set him up for another shot at the title. For Woodley, it marked the beginning of a steep decline — he would not win another UFC fight.
Co-Main Event: Cerrone vs. Price
Donald Cerrone and Niko Price fought to a majority draw in a welterweight co-main event that entertained throughout. Both fighters had their moments: Cerrone’s experience and technique versus Price’s wildness and durability. Two judges scored it even; one scored it for Price. The draw was a frustrating result for Cerrone, who was trying to rebuild after losses to Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje.
Full Results
Main Card
Colby Covington def. Tyron Woodley — TKO (Rib Injury) (Round 5)
Donald Cerrone vs. Niko Price — Draw (Majority) (Round 3, 5:00)
Khamzat Chimaev def. Gerald Meerschaert — KO (Punches) (Round 1, 0:17) — Performance of the Night
David Dvořák def. Jordan Espinosa — Submission (Round 1)
Mackenzie Dern def. Randa Markos — Submission — Performance of the Night
Kevin Holland def. Darren Stewart — KO (Round 1) — Holland’s fourth finish of 2020
Preliminary Card
Damon Jackson def. Mirsad Bektić — Decision — Performance of the Night
Randy Costa def. Journey Newson — KO — Performance of the Night
Maria Bueno Silva def. Mara Borella — TKO (Round 1)
Julija Clark def. Sarah Simmons — Submission (Round 1)
Darrick Minner def. TJ Laramie — Submission (Round 1)
Bonuses & Awards
No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded. Four Performance of the Night bonuses recognised the card’s best individual performances.
🏆 Performance of the Night: Khamzat Chimaev ($50,000) — KO of Gerald Meerschaert, Round 1, 0:17
🏆 Performance of the Night: Mackenzie Dern ($50,000)
🏆 Performance of the Night: Damon Jackson ($50,000)
🏆 Performance of the Night: Randy Costa ($50,000)
Records & Milestones
🥊 Khamzat Chimaev’s 17-second KO of Gerald Meerschaert — a seasoned middleweight veteran — was one of the most emphatic finishes of the pandemic era and sent the MMA world into a frenzy about the new unbeaten Chechen-Swedish fighter.
🥊 Kevin Holland’s KO of Darren Stewart was his fourth consecutive finish of 2020. The man was in the middle of one of the most prolific finishing streaks in recent UFC middleweight history.
🥊 Tyron Woodley would not win another UFC fight following this defeat. The loss marked the definitive end of his run as a relevant title contender at 170 lbs.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 178 is remembered for two things above all others: Covington’s clinical dismantling of a former champion in a genuinely personal rivalry, and Khamzat Chimaev’s 17-second demolition of Gerald Meerschaert, which ignited a global phenomenon around the fighter known as ‘Borz.’ The Chimaev performance in particular was remarkable for its economy: 17 seconds to end a seasoned UFC veteran, with zero apparent effort.
For Covington, the win set him on the path to a UFC 268 title rematch against Kamaru Usman, one of the most closely contested championship fights in welterweight history. For Woodley, it was the turning point that effectively ended his time at the top of the division. FN 178 stands as one of the defining welterweight events of the COVID era, settling years of personal conflict in a sterile, empty arena with nothing but the fight itself.
FAQ
Why did Covington and Woodley dislike each other so much?
Both men trained at American Top Team in Florida, and their relationship broke down acrimoniously over time. Covington accused Woodley of not supporting his teammates and being selfish during his title reign. Woodley accused Covington of being a manufactured, inauthentic persona. The animosity was genuine on both sides and made for one of the most personal rivalries in welterweight history.
How did Chimaev KO Meerschaert so quickly?
Chimaev landed a clean punch immediately after the opening of the fight that visibly hurt Meerschaert, then followed up immediately with hammer fists to secure the TKO at 0:17 of round one. Meerschaert, a seasoned and experienced UFC middleweight, had little chance to react. The finish demonstrated Chimaev’s combination of power, aggression, and finishing instinct in its purest form.
Was the Covington TKO over Woodley controversial?
The finish was somewhat unusual as it came via a rib injury rather than a direct stoppage on strikes. Woodley was unable to continue in round five. Some questioned whether it should be considered a proper TKO finish, but Covington had been winning convincingly on the scorecards throughout the fight and would likely have won even without the injury stoppage.
What happened to Tyron Woodley after UFC Fight Night 178?
Woodley lost three more UFC fights after this defeat — to Vicente Luque (KO), Belal Muhammad (UD), and Gilbert Burns (TKO) — before being released from the UFC in 2022. He went on to boxing, losing twice to YouTuber Jake Paul. His post-2020 record remains one of the most significant falls from grace in recent UFC history.
Who is Khamzat Chimaev?
Khamzat Chimaev is a Swedish-Chechen mixed martial artist who burst onto the UFC scene in 2020 with a series of devastating, one-sided performances. His 17-second KO of Meerschaert at FN 178 — combined with his other dominant wins in 2020 — generated one of the most intense hype cycles in recent UFC history. He went on to become a top welterweight contender, challenging for the title at UFC 279 and UFC 300.
References
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