Sarah Kaufman loses another opponent: Amanda Nunes off TUF Nations Finale

UFC women’s bantamweight Sarah Kaufman is again without an opponent after Amanda Nunes was forced to withdraw from the TUF Nations Finale due to a broken hand.

Nunes (9-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) today tweeted a picture of what appears to be a badly broken thumb. UFC officials today told MMAjunkie that Kaufman (16-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will not be rebooked and will receive a new opponent for the April 16 event, which takes place at Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, and serves as the finale for “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations.”

Kaufman originally was scheduled to fight “TUF 18? veteran Shayna Baszler (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the card, but Baszler withdrew due to an undisclosed injury. Nunes, who was scheduled to fight Alexis Dufresne (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at this month’s UFC on FOX 11, was slotted in her place after Dufresne also was scratched by injury.

It’s not the first time injuries have cramped Kaufman’s style. She was scheduled to face Sara McMann at UFC Fight Night 27 before McMann withdrew for undisclosed reasons. She went on to face Jessica Eye at UFC 166 and lose via split decision. The bout’s result was later overturned to a no-contest when Eye tested positive for marijuana.

http://mmajunkie.com/2013/08/sara-mcmann-out-vs-sarah-kaufman-at-ufc-fight-night-27-replacement-sought/

http://mmajunkie.com/2014/02/commission-jessica-eye-tested-positive-for-marijuana-following-ufc-166/

Kaufman migrated to the UFC after a short stint in the all-women MMA promotion Invicta, and once held the bantamweight title in the now-defunct Strikeforce before losing it via submission to Marloes Coenen. Prior to joining Invicta, she was the sixth pro victim of now-UFC champ Ronda Rousey’s armbar.

Nunes was gunning for her third straight win following knockouts of Sheila Gaff and Germaine de Randamie prior to her injury setback.

It’s the second injury loss in as many days for the TUF Nations Finale. On Monday, MMAjunkie was first to report that Evan Dunham was forced out of his fight against Mark Bocek.

With the change, the TUF Nations Finale lineup now includes:

• Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy
• Patrick Cote vs. Kyle Noke
• TBA vs. TBA – “TUF Nations” middleweight-tournament final
• TBA vs. TBA – “TUF Nations” welterweight-tournament final
• Akira Corassani vs. Dustin Poirier
• K.J. Noons vs. Sam Stout
• Sarah Kaufman vs. TBA
• Mark Bocek vs. TBA
• Ryan Jimmo vs. Sean O’Connell
• Dustin Kimura vs. George Roop
• Mitch Gagnon vs. Tim Gorman

For more on the TUF Nations Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Amanda Nunes)