Report: Namajunas out of UFC 249 bout vs. Andrade
UFC 249 has lost its co-main event.
Former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is out of her rematch with fellow ex-champ Jessica Andrade on April 18 for an undisclosed reason, sources told ESPN's Ariel Helwani and Marc Raimondi.
The promotion is looking for a replacement to fight Andrade, sources told Combate's Evelyn Rodrigues and Raphael Marinho.
Namajunas defended her title against Andrade last May, suffering a second-round knockout loss. She hasn't competed in the Octagon since. The defeat snapped her three-fight winning streak, which included a pair of victories over longtime titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Andrade dropped the belt to Zhang Weili in her first title defense last August, losing in 42 seconds in the UFC Shenzhen main event. It was the Brazilian's first defeat since 2017; she'd been riding a four-fight winning streak.
UFC 249 is reportedly set to take place at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California, but the promotion has yet to confirm the location. Tony Ferguson will meet Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title in the main event.