The UFC Fight Night 76 co-main event just keeps on changing.
According to UFC President Dana White, flyweights Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolkawill now be featured in the co-headlining slot of the Oct. 24 card, replacing a lightweight bout between Norman Parke and Reza Madadi.
Neither of those matchups was initially slated for the co-main event role.
When the UFC Fight Night 76 card was originally announced, a high-profile heavyweight tilt between Ben Rothwell and Stipe Miocic was expected to complement the main event between Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and Joseph Duffy. Miocic, however, pulled out of that fight with an injury, and the UFC didn’t find a replacement, forcing Rothwell off the card altogether.
In the wake of that switch-up, the UFC announced Parke vs. Madadi as the new co-main event Wednesday, a decision that was overturned Thursday evening in favor of the Holohan vs. Smolka matchup.
This decision, while unexpected, makes sense. A native Irishman, Holohan is a crowd favorite in Dublin. He made his UFC debut against Josh Sampo in the Irish capital, winning via first-round submission, and if history repeats itself, he’ll run his current winning streak to three and put himself in a prime position to slide into the top 15 at 125.
Source: MMAFighting