UFC Edmonton has a new co-main event, though both of its original participants remain on the card against different opponents.
“The Black Beast” [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] will now face kickboxer [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] at the UFC Fight Night event Nov. 2 at Rogers Place. Additionally, [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] now gets [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag].
Four people with knowledge of the changes recently informed MMA Junkie of the new matchups but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. The bouts were first reported by Laerte Viana.
It’s unclear why the initial co-main event of Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) vs. Romanov (17-3 MMA, 6- 3 UFC) was split. However, the Lewis vs. Diniz (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) fight marks a striking-heavy battle on paper.
Lewis has won two of his last three fights. Despite the ups and downs over a decade-plus in the UFC, Lewis has remained one of the most popular fighters on the promotion’s roster.
A former standout kickboxer, Diniz steps into a massive opportunity in just his third UFC fight. After winning on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Diniz has defeated Austen Lane and Karl Williams thus far in the UFC.
Romanov aims to turn things around after losing three of his most recent four bouts. The three defeats in that stretch are the only of his career.
Nascimento (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) competed in his first UFC headliner when he was finished with strikes by Lewis in May. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak.
With the change, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Nov. 2 includes:
- Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield
- Derrick Lewis vs. Jhonata Diniz
- Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Alexandr Romanov
- Ariane da Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
- Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Ivana Petrovic
- Chad Anheliger vs. Cody Gibson
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