Sijara Eubanks won’t be fighting for the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight title this weekend.
Sijara Eubanks was scheduled to take on Nicco Montano in the TUF 26 Finale as one of the Ultimate Fighter finalists. While Montano tipped the scales at 124.5 lbs on Thursday, Eubanks was deemed medically ineligible, was hospitalised and subsequently pulled from the headline act.
Stepping in for Eubanks will be the opponent she defeated in the semi-finals of the tournament, Roxanne Modafferi, who successfully made weight Thursday morning for a scheduled fight on the same card with Barb Honchak.
Eubanks struggled with weight-cutting issues throughout the season and infamously had to cut her dreadlocks to make weight for one of her bouts. It appears as though her weight cut struggles have cost her a crack at UFC gold this time around.
I’m excited for the opportunity. I also hope Sijara gets better quickly. A weight cut to the point of hospitalization can be serious. https://t.co/l0pjDgV4mw
— Roxanne Modafferi (@Roxyfighter) November 30, 2017
Modafferi (21-13) is a true pioneer of WMM. She failed to impress as a contestant on the first-ever women’s Ultimate Fighter show in 2013 at bantamweight but has really reinvented her game to climb back to the UFC. Now 35, she has won six of her last eight fights since losing her UFC debut to Raquel Pennington.
Montano (4-2) began this season of the Ultimate Fighter as the 14th seed. Although she enters into this historic title shot off a loss, she scored big wins over former Invicta champions Honchak and Lauren Murphy in exhibition fights en route to the final.
The full UFC statement is below:
“Due to medical issues, Sijara Eubanks was hospitalised Thursday morning and has been pulled from her bout against Nicco Montano at Friday’s The Ultimate Fighter Finale. Stepping in for Eubanks to fight in the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight championship bout will be Ultimate Fighter 26 semifinalist Roxanne Modafferi.”
