UFC FN 70 Undergoes Multiple Changes Due to Visa Issues
By FCF Staff
Just a week out from the UFC’s Fight Night 70 card on June 27th, the promotion has been forced to due some significant line-up juggling.
Recently the UFC announced that due “to an issue affecting the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs visa system and a technical problem with the Consular Consolidated Database”, the promotion has been unable to secure visas for 12 fighters.
The card’s main event bout between Yoel Romero and Lyoto Machida will still take place as scheduled, however, the co-headliner between Ricky Story and Erick Silva has been cancelled. The UFC says it is still considering other”options” for the welterweights.
A bantamweight bout between Rani Yahya and Masanori Kanehara, which was booked for next week, has been moved to the promotion’s Fight Night card on July 15th in San Diego. The lightweight and bantamweight tournament finals for TUF Brazil 4 have been moved to UFC 190 on August 1st.
The new co-main event at UFC FN 70 will be a welterweight bout between Lorenz Larkin and Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Here is the updated line-up for next week’s card, which will take place in Hollywood, Florida.
Lyoto Machida vs. Yoel Romero
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Lorenz Larkin
Eddie Gordon vs. Antonio Carlos Junior
Thiago Santos vs. Steve Bosse
Hacran Dias vs. Levan Makashvili
Joe Merritt vs. Alex Oliveira
Lewis Gonzalez vs. Leandro Silva
Steve Montgomery vs. Tony Sims