The UFC Vegas 8 event was targeted by the promotion after Cutelaba tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced into quarantine, and now it’s set for the late summer event, according to a press release from the UFC.
The light heavyweights have unfinished business after their first contest, held at UFC Norfolk, ended in controversy. Ankalaev was ruled the winner by first-round TKO after referee Kevin MacDonald stepped in to wave it off, believing Cutelaba rocked by an early flurry of punches. But Cutelaba immediately snapped to and said he was only playing possum to draw in his opponent.
The rematch originally was targeted for UFC 249 before the coronavirus pandemic led to the event’s postponement. The two were then set to meet at UFC 252 before Cutelaba’s positive test.
Cutelaba is 4-4 in his UFC run with a 1-2 record in his most recent trio of bouts. He unsuccessfully fought to overturn the first result with Ankalaev, who’s won his past four octagon bouts.
Other bouts confirmed by the promotion for UFC Vegas 8 include:
- Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakic
- Neil Magny vs. Robbie Lawler
- Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
- Saparbek Safarov vs. Julian Marquez
- Emily Whitmire vs. Polyana Viana
- Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico
- Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
- Maki Pitolo vs. Impa Kasanganay
- Mallory Martin vs. Hannah Cifers
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
- Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady
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