Former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor Pannie Kianzad will step up on short notice to face Julia Avila in a bantamweight contest on the preliminary card at UFC 239 on July 6 in Las Vegas.
Avila was originally scheduled to face Melissa Gatto, but Gatto was forced out of the fight for undisclosed reasons.
Sources confirmed that Kianzad would then step into replace her with Avila also confirming the matchup on social media. MMAJunkie initially reported the switch.
So blessed that @panniekianzad is stepping up and saving this fight!