The event was the third that the organization has hosted in Dublin, following UFC 93 in January 2009 and UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Brandao in July 2014. The event was expected to be headlined by a lightweight bout between Dustin Poirier and Joseph Duffy. However, Duffy was forced to pull out of the fight on October 21, three days prior to the event, after sustaining a concussion during a sparring session earlier that week and the fight was scrapped. A flyweight bout between Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolka was promoted to serve as the event's new headliner. It was the first three-rounds main event bout since UFC 161 in June of 2013.