It has been confirmed by the UFC that interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao is out with a previously reported foot injury. With Barao's title defense against Eddie Wineland at UFC 161 now off, the UFC has decided that light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson will be the new main event of the evening.
No word yet on whether Wineland will still fight on the card or if he'll be removed entirely. The co-main event of Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will remain as such, but presumably they will bump one of the preliminary card bouts from FX to the PPV broadcast if Wineland does not receive a new opponent.
Evans is on a two fight losing streak with a loss to Jon Jones for the LHW title and a horrendously boring unanimous decision to Lil' Nog at UFC 156. Three weeks after Rashad's defeat, Hendo came up short against Lyoto Machida in the UFC 157 co-main event.
This marks the first non-title fight PPV main event since UFC 153, when Anderson Silva TKOed Stephan Bonnar in a makeshift main event following the removal of Jose Aldo from the original headlining spot. Evans/Hendo will remain a three rounder instead of a five round fight.
UFC 161 is June 15th in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The main card airs live on PPV with prelims on FX and Facebook.
SBN coverage of UFC 161: Evans vs. Henderson