Ji Yeon Kim has a new opponent for UFC 277 later this month.
Kim (9-5-2), originally scheduled to face off with Mariya Agapova in a flyweight match-up at the card in Dallas, Texas on July 30, will instead face Joselyne Edwards (11-4). Panama’s Edwards confirmed the news on social media, following an initial report by MMA Fighting on Wednesday.
A knee injury appears to be the culprit behind Agapova dropping off the card.
South Korea’s Kim, a.k.a. “Fire Fist,” will be looking to snap a three-fight losing streak come the end of the month. She’s dropped a trio of unanimous decisions to Alexa Grasso, Molly McCann, and Priscilla Cachoeira. That might have spelled her exit from the promotion, were it not for back-to-back Fight of the Night bonuses in her last two fights.
Edwards recently snapped a two-fight skid of her own thanks to a decision win against Invicta FC vet Ramona Pascual. Overall, the former KOTC women’s bantamweight champ and LFA alum is 2-2 inside the octagon.
While the UFC has yet to make an official announcement regarding the switch, there’s a good chance this will play out at 135 rather than flyweight, given the short notice and fact that Edwards most recently fought at featherweight.
UFC 277, headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between women’s bantamweight champ Juliana Pena and ex-champ/current featherweight Queen Amanda Nunes, takes place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on July 30.
With this latest change, the following fights are expected to take place at the event:
- Julianna Peña (c) vs. Amanda Nunes – for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship
- Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France – for the UFC interim flyweight championship
- Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich
- Alexandre Pantoja vs. Alex Perez
- Anthony Smith vs. Magomed Ankalaev
- Alex Morono vs. Matthew Semelsberger
- Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves
- Justin Tafa vs. Don’Tale Mayes
- Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Drakkar Klose
- Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Michael Morales
- Ji Yeon Kim vs. Joselyne Edwards
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ľudovít Klein
- Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Ihor Potieria
- Orion Cosce vs. Blood Diamond
