After Rashad Evans injured his leg, it looked like Daniel Cormier would be pulled from the UFC 170 fight card next weekend but after saying on Twitter that he would step in, the UFC has signed Patrick Cummins to face Cormier.
UFC President Dana White announced the new fight booking on Thursday and the new bout will be the co-main event of UFC 170.
UFC 170 takes place next Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be headlined by Ronda Rousey defending the UFC women’s bantamweight title against Sara McMann.
Cummins (4-0) made his professional debut in 2010 in Strikeforce as he defeated Terrell Brown by TKO in the first round. All of his wins have come in the first round and his last victory came in May of last year as he defeated Willie Smalls by guillotine choke submission.
Cormier (13-0) will be making his light heavyweight debut in this fight after winning heavyweight fights against Frank Mir and Roy Nelson in his UFC career. He will be a heavy favorite against Cummins and this will not be the first time he meets Cummins as they have faced each other in wrestling as amateurs.
The current UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann fight card is below.
Main Card: (PPV – 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)
Ronda Rousey (8-0) vs. Sara McMann (7-0)
Daniel Cormier (13-0) vs. Patrick Cummins (4-0)
Demian Maia (18-5) vs. Rory MacDonald (15-2)
Mike Pyle (25-9-1) vs. TJ Waldburger (16-8)
Stephen Thompson (8-1) vs. Robert Whittaker (11-3)
Preliminary Card: (Fox Sports 1 – 8 p.m. ET/5 pm. PT)
Alexis Davis (15-5) vs. Jessica Eye (11-1)
Raphael Assuncao (21-4) vs. Pedro Munhoz (10-0)
Aljamain Sterling (8-0) vs. Cody Gibson (11-3)
Zach Makovsky (17-4) vs. Josh Sampo (11-2)
Preliminary Card: (UFC Fight Pass – 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
Erik Koch (13-3) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (15-6)
Ernest Chavez (6-0) vs. Yosdenis Cedeno (9-2)