The event was expected to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between then champion Jon Jones and top contender Anthony Johnson. However on April 28, following Jones' hit-and-run incident, the UFC decided to strip him of the title and suspend him indefinitely. He was replaced by the previous title challenger Daniel Cormier, who was scheduled to face Ryan Bader in the main event of UFC Fight Night 68. The co-main event featured a UFC Middleweight Championship bout between current champion Chris Weidman and former UFC Light Heavyweight champion and UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament winner Vitor Belfort. The much delayed pairing had been rescheduled for several events. The first of which was UFC 173, where Belfort withdrew from the bout following the Nevada State Athletic Commission's ban on testosterone replacement therapy. The other events were UFC 181 and UFC 184, where Weidman withdrew from both bouts because of a broken hand and injured ribs, respectively.