5 times the UFC had to replace a main event on late notice

#2. UFC 234 - Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva

This event was set to feature middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defending his title in his home country of Australia against Kelvin Gastelum. In a shocking turn of events, Whittaker would be diagnosed with a hernia, which required surgery and forced him out of the fight.

The event was still headlined by two top middleweights, as future middleweight champ Israel Adesanya and former middleweight champ Anderson Silva took on the mantle of the main event.

Unfortunately, the fight was contested for only three rounds due to its short-notice nature. Adesanya won a competitive decision and would go on to defeat both Gastelum and Whittaker en route to becoming world champion. Silva has since retired from MMA, and is instead pursuing a career in boxing.

UFC 234 Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva

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#1. UFC 200 - Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes

UFC 200 was intended to be headlined by the grand rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. McGregor was handed his first UFC loss earlier in the year by Diaz, and the buzz for a second bout between the two men was at an all-time high.

However, after Conor McGregor refused to fly to the US to take part in pre-fight promotional work, the UFC pulled him and Nate Diaz from the card, much to the dismay of fans across the world.

It initially appeared that Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones 2 would take the headline spot, but the fight fell apart with mere days to go. Anderson Silva stepped in to fight Cormier in a non-title bout, and Amanda Nunes vs. Miesha Tate was moved to the headline slot.

Nunes defeated Tate via submission, claiming the women's bantamweight title and starting a reign that lasted all the way until the end of 2021. Tate retired from MMA in the years after this title loss, although she has since returned to the sport.

Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes