UFC 256 has lost its main event after the featherweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson has been pulled from the card on Dec. 12.
Multiple sources close to the situation confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Monday following an initial report from ESPN.
While full details are not available at this time, Nunes was forced to pull out of the contest due to injury although it appears her return to action won’t be delayed very long.
Anderson took to Twitter after the news was first announced to wish the reigning 145-pound champion well in her recovery with plans for the fight to be rebooked in early 2021.
“Wishing Amanda a speedy recovery,” Anderson wrote. “UFC are rescheduling the bout for a date early next year. The goal remains the same. We’ll be ready.”
Nunes was looking to make the second straight defense of her featherweight title after knocking out Cris Cyborg to become a two-division UFC champion. Nunes dismantled Felicia Spencer back in June in the first defense of her 145-pound championship.
More recently, Nunes celebrated the birth of her first child alongside her wife and fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff.
Unfortunately it appears now that Nunes will have to wait until next year to book her next fight with Anderson already champing at the bit for a new date.
As for UFC 256, the card was already promoting a pair of title fights with bantamweight champion Petr Yan facing off with Aljamain Sterling in the co-main event. Obviously the UFC could now easily shift gears and make Yan vs. Sterling the new main event, although no announcement has been made at this time regarding the headliner for the promotion’s final pay-per-view card in 2020.
