Fight card no longer subject to change!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will welcome back its biggest star, Ronda Rousey, tonight (Fri., Dec. 30, 2016) after a self-imposed 13-month hiatus from the sport, the genesis for which was a crushing knockout loss to Holly Holm back in Nov. 2015. Rousey will attempt to reclaim her women’s Bantamweight belt from reigning champion, Amanda Nunes, in the pay-per-view (PPV) main event of UFC 207, which takes place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nunes has already competed twice this year, winning a decision over the No. 2-ranked Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 196 and then dismantling Miesha Tate at UFC 200 four months later en route to a first round submission (rear-naked choke) to claim the 135-pound title. In addition to being more active inside the Octagon, Nunes has had to do the promotional heavy lifting outside of it, too, in the build up to this bout because “Rowdy” has requested — and been granted — a media “black out.“
It’s first-of-its-kind decision that has been met with criticism and raised eyebrows, especially after company President Dana White has gone to extraordinary lengths to make examples out of Nick Diaz and Conor McGregor in the past for their reluctance to commit to the fight week media grinds. Nevertheless, White and Co. have acquiesced to Rousey’s latest demands so that she can focus all her energy on Nunes in particular, and fighting in general, before she calls it a mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
Talk about drama!
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In other PPV main card action, Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will attempt to topple another Team Alpha Male-trained foil, Cody Garbrandt, in the co-main event of the evening. The No. 8-ranked Garbrandt has more or less trash talked his way into this position after impressive back-to-back-to-back first round (technical) knockout finishes. And Cruz has been a willing and competent adversary in the media … and even behind closed doors.
UFC 207 was also supposed to showcase a No. 1 Heavyweight contender eliminator match between former champions Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez. However, Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) pulled the plug on the bout after Velasquez revealed that he would be undergoing surgery just five days after the match.
Regardless, when it’s all said and done — if nothing else — UFC 207 is going to be a super fun way to close out 2016.
Check out the complete UFC 207 line up below:
UFC 207 PPV Main Event:
135 lbs.: Women’s Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey (Estimated 12:30 a.m. ET start time)
UFC 207 PPV Co-Main Event:
135 lbs.: Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt
UFC 207 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):
135 lbs.: T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Lineker
170 lbs.: Tarec Saffiedine vs. Dong Hyun Kim
125 lbs.: Ray Borg vs. Louis SmolkaUFC 207 Prelims on FOX Sports 1 (8 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Johny Hendricks vs. Neil Magny
185 lbs.: Marvin Vettori vs. Antonio Carlos Jr.
170 lbs.: Mike Pyle vs. Alex Garcia
170 lbs.: Brandon Thatch vs. Niko PriceUFC 207 Prelims on Fight Pass (7:30 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Tim Means vs. Alex Oliveira
For the latest, LIVE updates and UFC 207: “Nunes vs. Rousey” results TONIGHT click here.