Patrick Cummins Replaces Rashad Evans, Meets Daniel Cormier at UFC 170

Patrick Cummins will make his Octagon debut against Daniel Cormier. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship officials announced Thursday that onetime Strikeforce talent Patrick Cummins will now face Cormier at the Feb. 22 event, replacing an injured Rashad Evans in the light heavyweight co-headliner.

Evans’ withdrawal was announced Wednesday evening, and it was rumored the promotion intended to rebook the matchup for UFC 172. However, Cummins took to Twitter that night and offered his services -- a request that the UFC apparently heard loud and clear.

UFC 170 takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and is headlined by a women’s bantamweight title showdown between Olympic medalists Ronda Rousey and Sara McMann.

A former standout wrestler at Penn State University, Cummins made his MMA debut in 2010 but saw his fighting aspirations postponed after serving jail time for a 2008 burglary charge. The undefeated light heavyweight returned to action in 2012 and rattled off three more wins, most recently competing last May, when he scored a first-round submission of Willie Smalls in Colorado.

Cormier, meanwhile, will now make his 205-pound debut after earning 13 straight victories to begin his career as a heavyweight. The 34-year-old joined the UFC last year after a long run in Strikeforce, besting Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7 before outpointing Roy Nelson this past October at UFC 166.