Holly Holm and Irene Aldana will still get a headliner spot for their fight.
After a positive COVID-19 test forced Aldana out of the UFC’s Aug. 1 main event, the promotion has moved her bout with Holm to the Oct. 3 headliner. The matchup was announced during the UFC 252 broadcast Saturday night.
The event location has not officially been announced by the UFC, but is expected to take place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Aldana (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) will become the first Mexican-born woman to headline a UFC event when she squares off with Holm. A win will most likely would position her as the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds. Winner of five of her past six, Aldana is coming off a “Performance of the Night” knockout over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245, bouncing the Brazilian out of the ranks of the unbeaten.
Holm (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), a former UFC bantamweight champion, has split her past four appearances and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246, beating her for the second time. Prior to that, she failed to recapture the 135-pound title when she was stopped by featherweight and bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes in Round 1 at UFC 239.
The latest lineup for UFC’s Oct. 3 event includes:
- Irene Aldana vs. Holly Holm
- Germaine de Randamie vs. Julianna Pena
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Tanner Boser
- Jinh Yu Frey vs. Loma Lookboonmee
- Yorgan De Castro vs. Carlos Felipe
- Beneil Dariush vs. Charles Oliveira
Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana rebooked for UFC's Oct. 3 main event
