UFC Hamburg already suffered a main event switch, but now the co-main event has a different look as well after Corey Anderson stepped in for Ilir Latifi to face Glover Teixeira.
Combate first reported the switch to the UFC Hamburg co-main event.
Volkan Oezdemir was the first face removed from the UFC Hamburg poster after visa issues prevented him from traveling to Germany. Anthony Smith has replaced him in the main event to face Shogun Rua. Ilir Latifi’s removal from the co-main event was due to injury.
Corey Anderson will be looking to continue his rebound from two consecutive knockout losses. He was KO’d by Jimi Manuwa and Ovince Saint Preux in consecutive fights before taking a decision victory from Patrick Cummins in his last appearance. Despite the recent struggles, Corey Anderson has been one of the more consistently successful light heavyweights on the roster, going 7-4 since winning the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2014.
Glover Teixeira entered the UFC as a feared 17-2 fighter from Brazil. He lived up to expectations by winning his first five fights in the Octagon, earning him a title shot against Jon Jones. Jones would end up victorious in a one-sided five-round bout, and since then, he has gone 5-3, most recently knocking out highly touted prospect Misha Cirkunov.
Ilir Latifi had plenty of momentum coming into this booking, securing an excellent guillotine choke against Ovince Saint Preux that netted him a Performance of the Night bonus and his second consecutive victory. Since joining the promotion, Latifi is 7-3 and has won five of his last six fights.
UFC Hamburg takes place on July 22 from the Barclaycard Arena in Germany. The main event features rising light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith taking on the legendary Shogun Rua. Also featured on the card will be heavyweights Marcin Tybura and Stefan Struve, and fan favorites Alan Jouban and Marc Diakese in their respective bouts.
