UFC 170 has already lost multiple fighters due to injury, and this latest one has resulted in the cancellation of the co-main event. With just a little over a week out from the Las Vegas PPV, Yahoo’s Kevin Iole reports that Rashad Evans is off the card with an injured knee, and as a result Daniel Cormier has also been removed from the show with no time left for a suitable replacement. Iole posted more details on the UFC’s plans to re-book the fight for UFC 172 in Baltimore:
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans injured a knee in training and his bout at UFC 170 against unbeaten Daniel Cormier scheduled for Feb. 22 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas has been canceled.
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said he did not have details on the injury, but said doctors told him that Evans needed four weeks of rehabilitation. He said UFC officials are looking at potentially adding the fight to UFC 172 on April 26 in Baltimore.
A welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia is now expected to be the co-main event. This leaves UFC 170 with just 10 fights, and presumably one of the Fox Sports 1 prelims will be bumped up to the PPV broadcast.
Evans (21-3-1) put in a dominant display in his last fight, TKOing Chael Sonnen with ground-and-pound from back mount in the 1st round of their UFC 167 co-main event. Cormier (13-0) has proven himself to be an elite heavyweight, but is now committed to a move to 205 lbs, where many fans and analysts believe he has what it takes to contend for (what is currently) Jon Jones’ title.
This is obviously devastating news and basically makes UFC 170 100% dependent on the drawing power of women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who headlines the show against Sara McMann. That is of course assuming that the UFC doesn’t decide Chael Sonnen’s request to fight Cormier next week isn’t granted:
.@dc_mma ya know I haven’t been crazy about you attitude as of late. Daddy ain’t ready, but he’s ready enough. Feb 22 just say my name…
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) February 13, 2014
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