The marquee appeal of the UFC’s trip to Edmonton this weekend took a big hit when heavyweight slugger Derrick Lewis was pulled from the card with what the company labeled a “medical issue (non weight-cut related)” on Friday, but the show must and will go on.
It’s the promotion’s third time in Alberta’s northernmost major city and it’s not as if the 13 bouts still on the docket are completely without merit. In fact, the main event matches two of the top three flyweights in the world, both with an eye on a win and a title shot.
Ex-champ Brandon Moreno, now ranked second behind champion Alexandre Pantoja, has dropped two straight split decisions over five rounds and he’ll try to avoid a third consecutive loss when he faces No. 3 contender Amir Albazi. Albazi is unbeaten in five fights in the UFC and has lost just once, five years ago, in 18 pro appearances.
Another former champion, two-time strawweight queen Rose Namajunas, continues her chase for another belt in the women’s flyweight division, where she’ll third-ranked contender Erin Blanchfield in the co-main. Namajunas, ranked fifth, is 2-1 since climbing from 115 pounds and Blanchfield, just 25 years old, had won six straight in the octagon before dropping a decision to now-second-ranked Manon Fiorot in March.
This content was brought to you by: Bleacher Report – Front Page
