Anderson out of Cyborg title fight, Tonya Evinger steps in
Just one week on from the initial fight announcement, Megan Anderson has been ruled out of UFC 214’s co-main event against Cyborg Santos with a fellow Invicta FC alum set to step in.
News broke of Anderson’s withdrawal overnight but the UFC have acted quickly by inserting Tonya Evinger, Invicta FC’s bantamweight champion, into the co-main event for the vacant UFC featherweight title.
Anderson issued the following statement on her personal Twitter account following her withdrawal citing “pressing personal reasons”:
I have been wanting this fight for a long time and finally got the opportunity to showcase my skills on the big stage but unfortunately due to some pressing personal reasons that are out of my control, it is not to be right now. I am no stranger to struggle and this is the biggest struggle I have faced yet, but I like always do, I will come back stronger and better than before and I will be coming straight for Cris, the Title and becoming the face of the UFC 145lb division. I am determined and resolved to make history and shock the world. I’m coming for whoever has that belt.
Anderson’s withdrawal marks the latest change of course in the short-lived tenure of the UFC’s women’s featherweight title as the inaugural champion, Germain de Randamie, was stripped of the belt without defending the 145 lbs gold.
Cyborg and Anderson were then selected to contest for the newly vacant title but with the Austrailian fighter now sidelined, Tonya Evinger will move up in weight to take on the feared Brazilian.
Evinger (19-5) is currently on a 10 fight win streak and last fought in a successful title defence against Yana Kunitskaya at Invicta FC 22 in March, winning via second round rear-naked choke.