UFC 196 becomes UFC Fight Night 82 after move to Fox Sports 1

Johny Hendricks

Hold on to your hats, the UFC schedule is about to get very confusing. After Cain Velasquez pulled out of his UFC 196 heavyweight title rematch with Fabricio Werdum and Werdum pulled out of his fight with replacement opponent Stipe Miocic, UFC 196 has undergone a name change.

The event, which takes place on Feb. 6 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, saw it’s main card move from pay-per-view to FOX Sports 1. Now, the name has changed from UFC 196 to UFC Fight Night 82 to reflect the broadcast changes. Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) and fellow contender Stephen Thompson (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) serve as the main event for the card.

This change will obviously have a ripple effect as the event previously named UFC 197, headlined by lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos defending his title against featherweight champion Conor McGregor, is now UFC 196. The event takes place takes place March 5 , also at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

For more on UFC 196 and UFC Fight Night 82, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.