Though UFC president Dana White said he wouldn’t put Amanda Nunes in a main event right away after she withdrew from UFC 213 on the day of the fight, he had no choice but to do so for this weekend’s UFC 215.
After making weight on Friday, Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are officially the new headlining bout for UFC 215 after the main event was surprisingly canceled late Thursday night.
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was expected to fight Ray Borg in the headlining bout, but doctors ruled out Borg on Thursday due to illness. Originally the night’s co-main event, the Nunes vs. Shevchenko rematch now tops the fight card.
Shevchenko stepped onto the scale first, weighing 133.5 pounds; well below the limit for their 135-pound title bout. Nunes arrived a short time later, weighing 135 pounds on the nose.
With the loss of Johnson vs. Borg, the fight card will move forward with 11 bouts.
A preliminary bout between Henry Cejudo and Wilson Reis was elevated to main card status, while Neil Magny vs. Rafael Dos Anjos now serves as the co-main event.
All 22 fighters made weight.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg— CANCELED- Amanda Nunes (135) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (133.5)
- Neil Magny (169.5) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (170)
- Henry Cejudo (125.5) vs. Wilson Reis (125)
- Ilir Latifi (205.5) vs. Tyson Pedro (205.5)
- Jeremy Stephens (146) vs. Gilbert Melendez (146)
- Sara McMann (135.5) vs. Ketlen Vieira (136)
- Sarah Moras (135) vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith (135.5)
- Gavin Tucker (145.5) vs. Rick Glenn (145.5)
- Mitch Clarke (155.5) vs. Alex White (155.5)
- Luis Henrique (244.5) vs. Arjan Bhullar (239)
- Kajan Johnson (155) vs. Adriano Martins (156)
