Andrea Lee in for Lauren Murphy vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith at UFC on ESPN 1
With Lauren Murphy out, Ashlee Evans-Smith will have a new opponent for the UFC’s debut on ESPN.
Multiple sources have confirmed to MyMMANews.com that Andrea Lee will step in to face Evans-Smith in the women’s flyweight matchup at UFC on ESPN 1 on Feb. 17. The bout is expected to be finalized in the next day or two for the event, which will take place at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
The UFC had confirmed the originally scheduled bout between Murphy and Evans-Smith, which was first reported by MyMMANews.com. Just days after the confirmation, FloCombat reported that Murphy was out of the bout, which she confirmed on social media that it was due to a foot injury that “hasn’t healed quite enough.”
With Murphy on the mend, Lee will take the opportunity to make it 2-0 inside the Octagon. “KGB” made her UFC debut in May at UFC Fight Night 129, picking up a unanimous decision victory over Veronica Macedo. Lee was scheduled to take on Jessica-Rose Clark at last weekend’s UFC on FOX 31 event in Milwaukee, but the fight was scrapped after Clark was hospitalized due to issues with her weight cut. The 29-year-old Lee will look to extend her overall winning streak to six fights.
Evans-Smith is excited to return to competition after being forced to withdraw from her TUF 28 Finale bout with Antonina Shevchenko due to an undisclosed injury. “Rebel Girl” will look to continue her winning ways after picking up a unanimous decision victory over Bec Rawlings at April’s UFC 223 event.
Here is how the UFC on ESPN 1 card currently shapes up:
- Jimmie Rivera vs. Aljamain Sterling – bantamweight
- James Vick vs. Paul Felder – lightweight
- Cynthia Calvillo vs. Cortney Casey – women’s strawweight
- Andre Fili vs. Myles Jury – featherweight
- Jessica Penne vs. Jodie Esquibel – women’s strawweight
- Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Andrea Lee – women’s flyweight
- Aleksandra Albu vs. Emily Whitmire – women’s strawweight
- Scott Holtzman vs. Nik Lentz – lightweight
- Renan Barao vs. Luke Sanders – bantamweight
- Kron Gracie vs. Alex Caceres – featherweight
- Manny Bermudez vs. Benito Lopez – bantamweight
- Bryan Barberena vs. Vicente Luque – welterweight
