Cris “Cyborg” Justino will face Tonya Evinger instead of Megan Anderson for the vacant featherweight championship at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California, on July 29.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com reported Tuesday UFC officials confirmed Anderson withdrew from the scheduled bout because of personal reasons. Evinger—who is the 135-pound champion of Invicta FC—will take her place.
Justino boasts a 17-1 record and would be a formidable opponent for even the best UFC foes. Evinger is a current champion in the all-female fight promotion Invicta FC, but this matchup figures to be a daunting challenge.
Still, Okamoto called it “a huge development” for the fighter, who was previously set to headline an Invicta event on July 15.
The showdown with Justino will be a co-main event at UFC 214 alongside the light heavyweight championship between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.
As for a potential matchup between Anderson and Justino, Okamoto noted Anderson’s representatives said she is “looking forward to fighting Cyborg for a UFC title at a later date.”
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