UFC 213 Shakeup: Garbrandt vs. Dillashaw Off, Romero vs. Whittaker In
UFC 213 Shakeup: Garbrandt vs. Dillashaw Off, Romero vs. Whittaker In
There's a massive shakeup on the UFC 213 fight card, and TJ Dillashaw, Cody Garbrandt, Yoel Romero, Robert Whittaker, Amanda Nunes, and Valentina Shevchenko are affected.
Let's play good news/bad news: UFC 213 edition.
During a recent episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Brett Okamoto dropped some massive news bombs. According to Okamoto, the previously scheduled main event for July 8's UFC 213 card between bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt and challenger TJ Dillashaw has been canceled.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/status/867168491794608129" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
While it stings, this move was somewhat expected in the MMA community, as Garbrandt recently flew to Germany to receive treatment on his injured back.
The good news: an interim UFC middleweight title fight between top contenders Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker will now co-headline the event, and women's banatamweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her title against Valentina Shevchenko in the night's official main event.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/status/867168978774261760" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Romero and Whittaker are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the division, respectively, setting up a true number-one contender's matchup for the winner to face champ Michael Bisping.
Since coming to the UFC in April 2013, Romero hasn't lost, going 8-0 with six finishes during that stretch. Similarly, Whittaker is tearing through the 185-pound ranks, posting an impressive 6-0 record with four stoppages since making his middleweight debut in November 2014.
Nunes and Shevchenko, meanwhile, have history, as the two previously fought at UFC 196. With no title on the line at that time, Nunes took home a unanimous decision.
Now, however, Nunes holds the strap, and Shevchenko has come into her own inside the cage, notching back-to-back victories, most recently submitting Julianna Pena with a slick armbar.
During a recent episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Brett Okamoto dropped some massive news bombs. According to Okamoto, the previously scheduled main event for July 8's UFC 213 card between bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt and challenger TJ Dillashaw has been canceled.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/status/867168491794608129" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
While it stings, this move was somewhat expected in the MMA community, as Garbrandt recently flew to Germany to receive treatment on his injured back.
That's all the bad news.
The good news: an interim UFC middleweight title fight between top contenders Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker will now co-headline the event, and women's banatamweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her title against Valentina Shevchenko in the night's official main event.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/status/867168978774261760" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Romero and Whittaker are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the division, respectively, setting up a true number-one contender's matchup for the winner to face champ Michael Bisping.
Since coming to the UFC in April 2013, Romero hasn't lost, going 8-0 with six finishes during that stretch. Similarly, Whittaker is tearing through the 185-pound ranks, posting an impressive 6-0 record with four stoppages since making his middleweight debut in November 2014.
Nunes and Shevchenko, meanwhile, have history, as the two previously fought at UFC 196. With no title on the line at that time, Nunes took home a unanimous decision.
Now, however, Nunes holds the strap, and Shevchenko has come into her own inside the cage, notching back-to-back victories, most recently submitting Julianna Pena with a slick armbar.
As it stands, here is the current UFC 213 fight card (spoiler: STACKED).
