The event was headlined by a middleweight trilogy bout between longtime multi-divisional contenders and champions Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson.

However, Lawlor was forced to pull out due to injury and was replaced by The Ultimate Fighter 19 light heavyweight winner Corey Anderson.

[4] On December 4, it was announced that Gleison Tibau was "provisionally suspended" by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) due to a potential failed out-of-competition drug test.

[6] On February 16, Tibau announced he will drop his appeal and face the minimum punishment under the new rules, which is a two-year suspension.

[8] Subsequently, on February 18, USADA announced Tibau's two-year suspension retroactive to the date of the fight and his win is now overturned to a loss, per the anti-doping policy of the Comissão Atlética Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA), which regulated the bout.