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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently made a change to the five-round headliner for its upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) card on ESPN+, scheduled for Sat., Aug. 1, 2020 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
That’s because bantamweight bruiser Irene Aldana has been forced to withdraw, leaving former 135-pound champion Holly Holm without an opponent. Since the promotion was unable to drum up a replacement on such short notice, the bout has been postponed to a later date.
Taking over headlining duties will be the middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan.
“Holly is very disappointed and saddened that her fight was postponed, but stuff happens,” manager Lenny Fresquez told MMA Fighting. “We’re only interested in fighting someone that’s going to help us get a title shot. So there’s only really two girls, and that’s Aldana and [Aspen] Ladd, and Ladd’s out.”
The reason for Aldana’s withdrawal has yet to be revealed.
To see the updated UFC “Brunson vs. Shahbazyan” fight card and line up for Aug. 1 in Las Vegas click here.