UFC Atlanta hit with unexpected fight change less than two weeks before event

The opening matchup for UFC Fight Night Atlanta has undergone a fighter swap less than two weeks out from the event.

Set to take place on June 14 at State Farm Arena, UFC Atlanta is headlined by a pivotal welterweight matchup between the division’s former champion Kamaru Usman and surging contender Joaquin Buckley.

The night’s co-main event will see Miranda Maverick try to score the biggest win of her career when she meets two-time Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas, and the rest of the card includes plenty of well-matched fights and notable names like former UFC bantamweight titleholder Cody Garbrandt.

Cody Garbrandt during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jamey-Lyn Horth Gets New Opponent For UFC Atlanta

UFC Atlanta will feature a total of 12 fights, and with less than two weeks to go until the event the night’s curtain-jerker has apparently received a major change.

According to the report from Marcel Dorff, Tereza Bledá has withdrawn from her flyweight matchup with Jamey-Lyn Horth and has been replaced by former LFA titleholder Vanessa Demopoulos.

Miranda Maverick (red gloves) fights Jamey-Lyn Horth (blue gloves) at Amalie Arena. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Also a former LFA champion that claimed the promotion’s flyweight belt in her lone promotional appearance in 2021, Horth debuted in the UFC with an undefeated record in 2023 and took a unanimous decision over Hailey Cowan in her promotional debut.

The Canadian suffered her first loss later that year before rebounding against Ivana Petrović, but after the aforementioned Maverick defeated her via unanimous decision Horth will now try to keep her promotional record over .500 when she steps into the cage next weekend.

Vanessa Demopoulos Returns To Flyweight

Taking advantage of a short-notice opportunity, Demopoulos will be facing a considerable amount of pressure at UFC Atlanta given that she’s moving up a division and is currently on a two-fight skid.

“Lil Monster” made her UFC debut at flyweight in 2021 and came up short against JJ Aldrich before returning to the strawweight division, where the 36-year-old quickly built some momentum with three-straight victories in 2022.

Vanessa Demopoulos (blue gloves) reacts to her win by submission over Silvana Gomez Juarez (red gloves) during UFC 270. — Vanessa Demopoulos (blue gloves) reacts to her win by submission over Silvana Gomez Juarez (red gloves) during UFC 270 at Honda Center. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Demopoulos missed weight ahead of a loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz in 2023 before scoring another pair of wins, but the veteran was submitted by Jaqueline Amorim last September before she suffered her second loss in a row to Talita Alencar in April.

The addition of Demopoulos means that UFC Atlanta should still feature 12 total bouts, although fans saw how quickly things can change last week with the way weigh-in day and fight night played out for UFC Vegas 107.

• Main Event: Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley

• Co-Main Event: Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick

• Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy

• Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski

• Cody Brundage vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik

• Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos

• Cody Durden vs. Jose Ochoa

• Michael Chiesa vs. Court McGee

• Ricky Simon vs. Charles Jourdain

• Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato

• Phil Rowe vs. Ange Loosa

• Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth

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