Another twist in UFC TUF 26 Finale title fight as Eubanks gets replaced
The UFC’s strangest title match in history, scheduled for tomorrow night, had another twist thrown in its way.
The tournament, held months ago and filmed for the Ultimate Fighter reality series to crown UFC’s first women’s flyweight (125 pound) champion came down to two unknown and relatively inexperienced fighters, Sijara Eubanks (2-2) and Nicco Montano (3-2).
The two came into the tournament as the number twelve and the fourteen seeds out of the 16 women entered. Montano had scored wins in the tournament over Lauren Murphy, the only fighter on the UFC roster entered, and Barb Honchak, a former Invicta champion. Eubanks defeated the top seed, former UFC fighter Roxanne Modafferi.
But Eubanks was hospitalized this morning, apparently due to weight cutting issues, and will be replaced by Modafferi in the championship fight from Las Vegas which will air on FS1.
Modafferi was introduced to UFC fans in the highly rated season where Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate were coaches. She started her career back in 2003 and fought extensively in Japan in her early years, where women’s MMA was more accepted at the time.
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.