Mir (left) and Pezão (right) will take part in the new main fight in Porto Alegre. Photo: MMA Press Production (Disclosure/UFC)
The specter of injuries continues to haunt the UFC at the beginning of 2015, and this time, it affects the first event to be held in Brazil. UFC Fight Night 61, which will take place in Porto Alegre (RS), on February 22, lost its main fight, as Glover Teixeira, which would face Rashad evans, suffered an injury and will not be able to fight.
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Glover's manager, Ed Soares, confirmed to the North American website “MMA Fighting” that the Brazilian saw the aggravation of an injury he suffered in his last fight, against Phil Davis, in October, and, therefore, he will have to undergo physiotherapy for six weeks. Evans, however, still doesn't know if he will be kept on the card in Brazil.
The UFC acted quickly and arranged a new main fight for its first visit to Porto Alegre. Antonio Pezão e Frank mir, who would face each other a week later, at UFC 184, had their fight transferred to Brazil, and will now duel in a five-round fight. This will be Pezão's second consecutive fight in his home country, since, in September last year, he lost to Andrei Arlovski in Brasilia. Mir will only have his second fight outside of North America, his first since 2002, when he was knocked out by Ian Freeman in England.
Additionally, the UFC confirmed two more fights for the Brazilian card. Jéssica “Bate Estaca” Andrade faces Marion Reneau in the women's bantamweight division, while Douglas D'Silva face Cody Gibson.
Check out the UFC Porto Alegre provisional card:
Heavy: Antonio Pezão x Frank mir;
Mild: Edson Barboza x Michael Johnson;
Medium: Cezar Mutant x Sam alvey;
Roosters: Iuri Marajó x Frankie Saenz;
Mild: Adrian Martins x Rustam Khabilov;
Roosters: Jessica Andrade x Marion Reneau;
Welterweights: William Patolino x Matt Dwyer;
Welterweights: Wendell Negão x TJ Waldburger;
Roosters: Douglas D'Silva x Cody Gibson;
Welterweights: Santiago Ponzinibbio x Sean Strickland;
Feathers: Tiago Trator x Mike de la Torre;
Mild: Ivan Batman x Josh Shockley
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