UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes was set to defend the gold against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 213.
However, the champion pulled out of the fight on the day of the event due to a bout of chronic sinusitis. Combate first reported that the bout has been rescheduled for UFC 215. UFC confirmed the news Friday.
UFC President Dana White stated that Nunes would never headline another UFC card again after the UFC 213 scenario, so main eventing will be Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson taking on #3 Ray Borg.
Johnson (26-2-1) looks to break Anderson Silva's record for consecutive successful title defenses, where they are currently tied at 10. Widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, "Mighty Mouse" passed up a big fight with former Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw to take this bout.
Borg (11-2) has won five of his last six fights, including victories over Luis Smolka and Jussier Formiga since December.
Nunes (14-4-0) is going to be making the second defense of her championship, last defending it against Ronda Rousey at UFC 207. Nunes did defeat Shevchenko in their first meeting at UFC 196, the victory came by way of unanimous decision. Nunes will also be entering the fight on the strength of a five fight winning streak.
Shevchenko (14-2-0) has been undefeated since that first loss to Nunes, having defeated the duo of Holly Holm and Juliana Pena. Shevchenko has only suffered one other defeat in her professional MMA career, that loss came to fellow UFC fighter Liz Carmouche at a C3 Fights event in September 2010. Shevchenko is actually winless on UFC pay-per-view cards, as her lone pay-per-view appearance was the first loss to Nunes at the aforementioned UFC 196 event.
UFC 215 takes place on Saturday, August 9 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with no main event announced at this time. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
