Anthony Pettis is going to have to wait a bit longer to attempt to get back on track.
The former UFC lightweight champion is injured and out of a co-main event fight with Myles Jury at UFC on FOX 16 on July 25 in Chicago, it was reported Thursday night on FOX Sports 1.
Edson Barboza will step in and face Jury, though that fight will not be the co-headliner. UFC senior vice president of public relations Dave Sholler told MMAFighting.com that a women’s bantamweight title eliminator between Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye will slide into that co-main event role at United Center.
Pettis (18-3) just lost the lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185 in March. Before that, he was on a five-fight winning streak, including a second-round submission victory in defense of the belt against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181 in December.
Jury (15-1) was undefeated before his unanimous decision loss to Donald Cerrone at UFC 182 in January. The Alliance MMA product has wins over Michael Johnson, Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi. Jury, just 26, remains a well-rounded, rising star in the UFC’s 155-pound division.
Barboza (15-3) fell to Johnson in February, but had won two straight before that over Bobby Green and Evan Dunham. The Brazilian has some of the best leg kicks in all of MMA. Barboza, 29, now lives in New Jersey and trains with former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
UFC on FOX 16 is headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between champion T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao. The card is loaded up with exciting lightweight fights, including Gomi taking on Joe Lauzon and Rustam Khabilov facing Danny Castillo.