Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm Set For UFC 219

UFC 219 may have found its main event.

Now just over a month away from the card, the UFC has been scrambling to find a main event for its annual year end card, which is set for Dec. 30, 2017 in Las Vegas. Rumors had even begun to surface indicating that the promotion was looking into booking a welterweight title fight between champion Tyron Woodley and fan favorite Nate Diaz.

While that fight hasn’t yet been booked, an exciting featherweight title fight between champion Cris Cyborg and ex-bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm has been set for UFC 219. The news was first reported by Lance Pugmire of the LATimes and later confirmed by the UFC.

Cyborg has competed three times under the UFC banner thus far, scoring stoppage victories over Leslie Smith and Lina Lansberg before taking on Tonya Evinger this past July at UFC 214 for the vacant 145-pound title. Cyborg ended up defeating Evinger in the third round of their clash.

Holm, on the other hand, shocked the MMA community just over two years ago when she knocked out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 to become the 135-pound champion. Since then, she’s gone just 1-3, losing bouts to Miesha Tate, Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie. After losing to de Randamie in the inaugural women’s featherweight title fight, however, Holm bounced back with a stoppage victory over Bethe Correia last June.

It’s currently unclear whether or not this bout will serve as UFC 219’s main event, but it’s certainly a possibility.