UFC light heavyweight Daniel Cormier begged for a replacement fighter when he found out that his original opponent Rashad Evans was out due to a knee injury. Just when UFC President Dana White thought there was no one else, he received a Tweet from a relatively unknown fighter — Patrick Cummins.
Daniel Cormier a -1200 favorite against Patrick Cummins at UFC 170
@dc_mma lost all that weight & the fight got cancelled last minute…I’ll step in there @danawhite. We’re friends but we’re not “brothers”
@dc_mma lost all that weight & the fight got cancelled last minute…I’ll step in there @danawhite. We’re friends but we’re not “brothers”
— Patrick Cummins (@OfficialDurkin) February 13, 2014
Cormier was the favorite going in to his bout with Evans, and now has skyrocketed up the betting ladder with his replacement opponent. “DC” is coming in to this weekends UFC 170 co-main event as a -1200 favorite, with “Durkin” a +775 underdog.
Cummins (4-0) is a two-time All-American and U.S. National wrestler, with an undefeated MMA record. With only four professional bouts under his belt, experience could come in to play against Cormier. All four of his victories have come by either submission or TKO in the very first round. Most recently “Durkin” defeated Willie Smalls at a regional event in May of last year.
Cormier (13-0) may not have had a fight at light heavyweight yet, but some people are already saying he should be fast-tracked towards a title shot. That’s because the former Olympic wrestler has plowed through 13 straight heavyweights, often making it look easy.
UFC 170 will go down on February 22 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. Headlining the event will be Ronda Rousey and Sara McMann for the women’s bantamweight championship.
