Patrick Cummins signs with UFC, faces Daniel Cormier at UFC 170
Daniel Cormier‘s wish to stay on the card at next week’s UFC 170 event has been granted.
Undefeated promotional newcomer Patrick Cummins (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has agreed to step in on short notice and replace an injured Rashad Evans against Cormier (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at the event, which takes place Feb. 22 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center.
The night’s main card, which features a championship bout between women’s bantamweight title holder Ronda Rousey and challenger Sara McMann – as well as the new Cormier vs. Cummins co-headliner – airs on pay-per-view following four preliminary bouts that air on FOX Sports 1 and another two that stream on UFC Fight Pass.
Evans was forced out of the bout on Wednesday after suffering a leg injury in training. UFC officials initially suggested the matchup would likely be rescheduled for a later date, but Cormier indicated he would prefer to stay on the card if a replacement opponent could be secured. Cummins seized the opportunity and volunteered for the duty and now makes his UFC debut.
Cummins, who was featured in a January 2012 edition of MMAjunkie’s “Fight Path†series, was born in Pennsylvania but is now based in California, where he trains at Reign MMA. Like Cormier, Cummins comes from a wrestling background, qualifying for the Penn State team as a walk-on and twice earning NCAA Division I All-American honors.
Cummins made his professional MMA debut in December 2010, scoring a TKO win under the Strikeforce banner. He’s competed a total of four times, with all four bouts ending via first-round stoppage. His most recent appearance was in May 2013, and Cummins has struggled to find willing opponents since.
Cormier, a likely heavy odds-on favorite who has a lot to lose with the matchup, apparently had no such concerns.
The latest UFC 170 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann – for women’s bantamweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Patrick Cummins
Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
Mike Pyle vs. T.J. Waldburger
Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye
Raphael Assuncao vs. Pedro Munhoz
Cody Gibson vs. Aljamain Sterling
Zach Makovsky vs. Josh Sampo
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
Erik Koch vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Ernest Chavez vs. Yosdenis Cedeno
