UFC 207 lineup finalized again: Louis Smolka vs. Ray Borg opens main card on pay-per-view

With the promotion apparently unable to find a replacement opponent for Jessica Andrade, the main card for UFC 207 next week has a new configuration.

Andrade (15-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was supposed to fight Maryna Moroz (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) on the card, but a Moroz injury forced her out. The bout would have opened the pay-per-view portion of the event.

Instead, the UFC has finalized the lineup again, and a flyweight fight between Louis Smolka (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Ray Borg (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will kick off the main card. The fight makes the move up the ladder from the FS1-broadcast prelims.

UFC 207 takes place Friday, Dec. 30, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

After a year away from the sport, Ronda Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) – one of the biggest stars in UFC history – returns for a headlining title fight with reigning women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes (13-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Nunes, who looks for her first title defense since beating Miesha Tate in July, is No. 1 in the MMA women’s bantamweight rankings, and Rousey is No. 2.

In the co-headliner and UFC 207’s other title fight, bantamweight champ and No. 1-ranked Dominick Cruz (22-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who’s currently in his second stint as champ, looks for his second straight title defense and fourth overall when he meets rival and No. 7-ranked Cody Garbrandt (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who could make a strong “Fighter of the Year” case if he pulls off the upset.

UFC 207’s main card also features a clash of former heavyweight champions with No. 2 Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1 MMA, 9-3 UFC) vs. No. 3 Cain Velasquez (14-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC). Werdum won the duo’s first meeting in 2015, when he submitted then-champ Velasquez to take the belt. Additionally, former bantamweight champion and No. 2-ranked T.J. Dillashaw (13-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) meets No. 8 John Lineker (29-7 MMA, 10-2 UFC).

Smolka, a 25-year-old Hawaiian, had built an impressive four-fight winning streak before being shocked by Brandon Moreno at October’s UFC Fight Night 96, losing by first-round submission. Borg is just 23 years old but already boasts five fights under the UFC banner. Most recently, Borg saw a three-fight winning streak snapped with a loss to Justin Scoggnis at February’s UFC Fight Night 82 event.

On UFC 207’s preliminary card, former welterweight champ and No. 8 Johny Hendricks (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) meets No. 13 Neil Magny (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) in the featured FS1-televised bout, and Tim Means (26-7-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) vs. Alex Oliveira (16-3-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) closes out the UFC Fight Pass portion of the event.

The full UFC 207 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

• Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey – for women’s bantamweight title
• Champ Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt – for bantamweight title
• Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum
• T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Lineker
• Ray Borg vs. Louis Smolka

PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)

For more on UFC 207, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.