A previously reported main event between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson for UFC’s May 8th event was confirmed by the promotion on Tuesday. The five-round fight is set to headline a “Fight Night” card from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The main event booking comes just a week after a previously scheduled main event between TJ Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen was removed from the lineup.
Rodriguez and Waterson are both usually strawweights, although Saturday’s short-notice booking will take place up at flyweight.
The flyweight booking was first reported to be in the works last week, although it was not confirmed as part of the lineup until recently.
Rodriguez will be making her UFC main event debut in the bout. She’s coming off a stoppage win in January, where she handed Amanda Ribas her first loss in the UFC.
Waterson fought in the main event of a card in her last showing, defeating Angela Hill in a close split decision back in September.
Cerrone Gets Morono As Short-Notice Replacement
Donald Cerrone will remain in the lineup on Saturday, as Alex Morono has stepped in on short notice to face him. Morono is replacing Diego Sanchez, who was pulled from the fight and cut from the UFC roster last week.
Morono last fought in late 2020, where he lost a decision to Anthony Pettis. He now faces another veteran, as Cerrone has now fought in the UFC for a decade.
Cerrone will be competing to earn his first win since 2019. The welterweight broke his four-fight losing streak last year, although it came via a draw in a fight against Niko Price. That bout was since been overturned to a no contest due to a Nevada Athletic Commission test on Price detecting marijuana.
Here is the updated lineup for UFC’s May 8th card.
Bout 12: Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2) vs. Michelle Waterson (18-8) (Flyweight)
Bout 11: Donald Cerrone (36-15) vs. Alex Morono (18-7) (Welterweight)
Bout 10: Ryan Benoit (10-7) vs. Zarrukh Adashev (3-3) (Flyweight)
Bout 9: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (17-7-1) vs. Maurice Greene (9-5) (Heavyweight)
Bout 8: Christian Aguilera (14-7) vs. Carlston Harris (15-4) (Welterweight)
Bout 7: Amanda Ribas (10-2) vs. Angela Hill (13-9) (Strawweight)
Bout 6: Neil Magny (24-8) vs. Geoff Neal (13-3) (Welterweight)
Bout 5: Diego Ferreira (17-3) vs. Gregor Gillespie (13-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Ben Rothwell (38-13) vs. Philipe Lins (14-5) (Heavyweight)
Bout 3: Phil Hawes (10-2) vs. Kyle Daukaus (10-1) (Middleweight)
Bout 2: Tafon Nchukwi (5-0) vs. Jun Yong Park (12-4) (Middleweight)
Bout 1: Mike Trizano (8-1) vs. Ludovit Klein (17-2) (Featherweight)
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