Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon will be the new headliner of UFC Vegas 72 on April 29, while the planned co-main event of UFC Vegas 71 was canceled due to Renato Moicano‘s injury.
The UFC Vegas 72 card has undergone a number of changes this week, most notably with the addition of a new main event. Song Yadong and Ricky Simon were scheduled to compete in a co-main event at UFC Vegas 71, but the bout has been postponed and will instead headline the UFC Vegas 72 card, which takes place on April 29. Yadong, the number eight ranked bantamweight, is coming off a loss to Cory Sandhagen, while Simon, ranked number ten, is riding a five-fight winning streak.
This reshuffle was prompted by an injury sustained by Renato Moicano, who was due to face Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC Vegas 72 lightweight battle. Moicano’s injury meant that the fight had to be cancelled. The UFC was left with little time to find a replacement for Moicano, but luckily the Yadong vs. Simon bout was already scheduled and was moved into the main event slot.
The UFC Vegas 72 card also includes middleweight bouts between Caio Borralho vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk, Rodolfo Vieira vs. Cody Brundage, and a women’s strawweight clash between Emily Ducote and Polyana Viana. Meanwhile, Marcos Rogério de Lima will face off against Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a heavyweight encounter, Joshua Quinlan takes on Ange Loosa in a welterweight bout, and the preliminary card features a number of other exciting matchups.
The UFC is known for its ability to roll with the punches and come up with entertaining fight cards despite injuries, reshuffles, and last-minute changes. Fans can look forward to Yadong vs. Simon headlining UFC Vegas 72, and to seeing what other surprises are in store for this event.