Injuries and scheduling quirks had already prevented this year’s International Fight Week pay-per-view card from being as massive as it was in past years.
That was before UFC 213 took its biggest hit this morning a few hours before the fights were set to begin. Amanda Nunes pulled out of the women’s bantamweight championship main event against Valentina Shevchenko due to illness.
Her exit leaves tonight’s main card, which will start momentarily on pay-per-view, without any lineal title fights. An interim middleweight championship bout between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker is elevated to the main event.