Tonya Evinger Returns to Bantamweight at UFC Fight Night Austin
Former UFC featherweight title contender Tonya Evinger is one and done at 145 pounds, at least for now.
A former Invicta FC bantamweight champion, Evinger is slated to return to the 135-pound weight class when she meets Marion Reneau at UFC Fight Night 126 on Feb. 18 in Austin, Texas. UFC officials announced the bout on Tuesday.
Evinger (19-6, 1NC) made the jump to the UFC to battle Cris “Cyborg” Justino for the featherweight title at UFC 214 in July. She vacated her Invicta FC championship to make the move, but having failed to defeat Cyborg, Evinger is returning to 135 pounds.
Prior to losing to Cyborg, Evinger had won 10 of 11 bouts, with the lone standout ruled a no contest. She'll be looking to pick up where she left off prior to the featherweight challenge.
TRENDING > Mackenzie Dern: ‘I Think I’m Ready to Go to the UFC’
After having lost back-to-back bouts to Holly Holm and Ashlee Evans-Smith, Reneau (8-3-1) has since gone 2-0-1 in her last three bouts. She'll be hoping to notch a victory over Evinger and claw her way into the bantamweight title picture.
UFC Fight Night Austin is expected to be headlined by a five-round welterweight tilt between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Yancy Medeiros.
