Just days after UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson said he was targeting UFC 216 in Las Vegas as the new date for his scrapped bout against Ray Borg, the promotion has made it official. The UFC announced the news on Wednesday. Johnson vs. Borg, originally the main event of UFC 215, is set as the co-main event scrap for UFC 216 in Las Vegas. The main event will remain the interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee.
This month’s UFC 215 was sent into disarray due to the last minute pullout by challenger Borg. The UFC cited a viral infection as the culprit, though weight cutting issues immediately became a cause for concern. After the bout was called off, Borg fired his nutritionist, who had publicly stated that weight cutting was not to blame for the fighter pulling out of the event.
Twenty-four year old Borg is currently on a two fight win streak in the UFC. However, he has missed weight in two of his last four fights, a span in which he has gone 3-1. A number of eyebrows were raised when Borg got the nod over Sergio Pettis, who has won four straight at flyweight. Things were further complicated when the UFC attempted to bully Johnson into a fight against former bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw, who has never fought at flyweight. That led to a brief public feud between the promotion and their champion. Johnson would win in the court of public opinion, and keep the Borg fight only to have the challenger pull out at UFC 215. Dillashaw, meanwhile, is set to challenge Cody Garbrandt for the bantamweight title at UFC 217 in New York City.
UFC 216 takes place on October 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
