Demetrious Johnson was expected to challenge history on Saturday in pursuit of a UFC record 11th defense of his flyweight championship in Edmonton, Alberta.
But a last-minute illness to challenger Ray Borg removed him from the main event, however, shaking up the pay-per-view portion of UFC 215 inside Rogers Place.
In the absence of Johnson-Borg, the women's bantamweight championship bout between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko -- a rematch of their close first meeting in 2016 -- was elevated to top billing.
Let's take a look at how that fight might play out, along with the latest odds from Westgate.
UFC 215 fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Valentina Shevchenko -125 | Amanda Nunes (c) +105 | Women's bantamweight title |
Rafael dos Anjos -185 | Neil Magny +165 | Welterweight |
Tyson Pedro -140 | Illir Latifi +120 | Light heavyweight |
Gilbert Melendez -120 | Jeremy Stephens +100 | Featherweight |
| Henry Cejudo -340 | Wilson Reis +270 | Flyweight |
Prediction
UFC women's bantamweight championship -- Amanda Nunes (14-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (14-2): It's difficult to prove you have the right gas tank to go the distance if your opponents can't hang around long enough to stretch you. That has been the dilemma facing Nunes in her eight UFC bouts.
The only time the champion has gone the distance inside the Octagon was a three-round decision win over Shevchenko in 2016. Their UFC 196 showdown was Nunes' final bout before submitting Miesha Tate to win the 135-pound crown and she was also criticized for fading late, which had become a recurring theme for "The Lioness," particularly in her 2014 loss to Cat Zingano after dominating the first two rounds.
Saturday's rematch, originally scheduled for UFC 213 in July until Nunes pulled out with an illness after making weight, will be contested at the five-round championship distance. The theoretical advantage in this case would go to Shevchenko, who was installed as the betting favorite. Not only did she come on strong in the third and final frame against Nunes, she was impressive in a five-round decision over former champion Holly Holm in 2016.
Ultimately, this matchup offers a perfect contrast between the larger and powerful Nunes, who comes forward at an aggressive pace, against the counter-striking Shevchenko, who has shown a calculated tendency to capitalize on her opponent's mistakes. But like Nunes' previous two five-round bouts, the theory coming in is that if she is unable to finish the fight in the first three rounds, it's unlikely she will be victorious. Considering Shevchenko's durability and the fact that she took Nunes' best shot in their first meeting (getting cut by an elbow on the ground) and fought off a submission attempt shortly after, this one has great potential to be decided on the scorecards.
Pick: The one improvement Shevchenko can make from their first meeting is to be more aggressive early to avoid giving away close rounds in the feeling-out process. Look for her combination of technique and toughness to be too much for the champion, particularly in the later rounds. Shevchenko by unanimous decision.
