Veteran bantamweight Sara McMann and Julianna Pena were scheduled to face off at UFC Fight Island 7, but will now fight a week later at UFC 257.
Several people with knowledge of the movement confirmed the news to MMA Fighting after an initial report by MMA Junkie. The reason for the change was not disclosed. UFC 257 takes place on January 23 at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
McMann and Pena address the struggle from opposite sides of the curriculum. Former title challenger McMann most recently defeated Lina Lansberg at UFC Raleigh, while Pena was twice stifled title challenger Germaine de Randamie in his most recent UFC Fight Island 4 appearance.
Both contestants have experience in wrestling, but Olympic silver medalist McMann carries the trump card when it comes to credentials. Still, both have struggled to gain momentum towards a title dispute after critical defeats, with McMann 5-4 since a title loss to now former champion Ronda Rousey and Pena 1-2 over three years since the submission loss to current flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.
UFC 257 is marked by a rematch between former champions Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.