Machida vs. Romero Tops Transplanted Florida UFC Fight Card; TUF 21 Finale Moves to Vegas
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Friday shuffled its summer line-up, swapping locations, and announcing a new main event featuring Lyoto Machida vs. Yoel Romero.
UFC Fight Night 70 was originally slated for June 27 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, featuring Erick Silva vs. Rick Story in the headliner. The event will still take place on June 27, but has been moved to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., according to UFC officials.
The new UFC Fight Night 70 main event pits Machida vs. Romero in a battle of middleweight contenders. Silva vs. Story remains on the card, but has been designated co-main event status.
Those weren't the only changes revealed on Friday.
The twenty-first season of The Ultimate Fighter takes place in South Florida, pitting fighters from rival camps the Blackzilians and American Top Team against one another. The UFC had intended for the TUF 21 Finale to also take place on July 12 in South Florida.
The TUF 21 Finale will maintain the same date, July 12, but instead of South Florida, it will be held in Las Vegas to cap off the UFC's International Fight Week. UFC 189: Aldo vs. McGregor takes place the night before, on Saturday, July 11, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The TUF 21 Finale will follow on Sunday, July 12, in the same venue.
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A welterweight tilt pitting Jake Ellenberger against Stephen Thompson, which had been scheduled for the UFC 189 undercard, will now take top billing and headline the TUF 21 Finale.
Also featured on the TUF 21 Finale is another welterweight bout featuring two fighters making the move to 170 pounds. Jorge Masvidal is moving up from lightweight. He will face Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira, who is making the drop down from middleweight.
