According to ESPN's Brett Okamoto, UFC Fight Night Minneapolis has a new main event but right now, it doesn't include Robbie Lawler.
The former UFC Welterweight Champion was set to take on Tyron Woodley in the event's headline attraction but a hand injury to 'The Chosen One' has halted those plans. It seems that Lawler won't receive an immediate replacement either, with a UFC 239 bout moving forward instead. A clash of Heavyweight contenders, Francis Ngannou's fight with Junior dos Santos is now set to take top billing, shifting from July 6th to June 29th.
Dos Santos (21-5) has recently rediscovered some in-cage consistency, winning three straight including most recently, a stoppage victory over Derrick Lewis. That form has kept dos Santos among the elite, currently standing at #3 in the UFC's Heavyweight rankings. Prior to this recent win streak, 'Cigano' fell short in his title challenge opposite Stipe Miocic but will now seek yet another shot at reclaiming that feat.
Opposite Miocic, Ngannou (13-3) suffered a similar fate, failing to take the Heavyweight crown but rebounding since. After following his Miocic effort with a disappointing loss against the aforementioned Lewis, Ngannous has scored two impressive first round knockouts. That streak begun opposite Curtis Blaydes and continued against a returning Cain Velasquez. He'll now look to defeat one of Velasquez's famed foes too, taking on yet another former champion in dos Santos.
This fight is likely to prove pivotal for the Heavyweight division's future, possibly positioning the next challenger with its result. First though, Daniel Cormier defends his title against Miocic, rematching the former champion after a fight with Brock Lesnar fell through.
Nonetheless, UFC Fight Night Minneapolis takes place on June 29th and will air on ESPN.
