UFC 213 start time, TV schedule, who is fighting tonight at ‘Romero vs Whittaker'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the hurt business tonight (Sat., July 8, 2017) for UFC 213, which is set to go down from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pay-per-view (PPV) event, which will be headlined by a hard-hitting women’s Bantamweight scrap between division champion Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko, will also feature a co-main event interim title bout between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker.

What UFC event is on tonight? UFC 213: “Romero vs. Whittaker”
Who is fighting tonight at UFC 213? Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko was the main event; however, it was canceled earlier today because of an illness (details). When does UFC 213 start? Today (Sat., July 8, 2017), beginning at 7 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass.
Where will UFC 213 take place? T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How can I watch UFC 213? Main card start time at 10 p.m ET on PPV. "Prelims" undercard on FOX Sports 1 start time at 8 p.m. ET. Early Fight Pass “Prelims” start at 7 p.m. ET.
Where can I get UFC 213 updates and results? Get full play-by-play updates and live coverage here!

What’s Hot:

Despite choking out Miesha Tate to win the title at UFC 200, and then dismantling Rounda Rousey in less than one minute in her first defense at UFC 207, Amanda Nunes feels she has to fight as hard as ever to win the respect and recognition as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight champion. That’s not a good sign for Valentina Shevchenko, as she will be facing a very hungry and highly-motivated champion that’s already beaten her once. For “Bullet,” however, her first-ever title fight gives her the chance to get some revenge on “Lioness” and cap a crazy past year that has seen her defeat Holly Holm and Julianna Pena on her way to UFC gold. Michael Bisping is adamant the interim title up for grabs between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker isn’t worth the leather it’s printed on. Still, “The Reaper” and “Soldier of God” desperately want a victory, if not for the interim strap, at least for a chance to take on “The Count,” who currently sits atop the division.

What’s Not:

Putting the Curtis Blaydes vs. Daniel Omielanczuk match up as the third fight on the main card -- or on the main card at all — is a move I don’t agree with. Putting Travis Browne vs. Aleksei Oleinik into that slot would’ve been more fitting in my opinion.

Original Card vs. Actual Card:

This card changed drastically over the course of its inception, specifically with the cancelation of a Bantamweight title fight that would've seen Cody Garbrandt take on T.J. Dillashaw on the co-headlining act before a back injury forced “No Love” to the sidelines. As a result, the promotion added another title fight -- albeit an interim one — between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker.

Donald Cerrone and Robbie Lawler were all set to throw down in a highly-anticipated Welterweight bout, but the bout was scratched after “Cowboy” came down with a bad blood infection that forced him out. As a result, a Heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Daniel Omielanczuk was promoted to the main card.

Injuries:

Aside from Garbrandt’s and Cerrone’s health issues, Alan Jouban and Brian Camozzi were all set to hook ‘em up tonight, but after Jouban suffered a broken foot and ultimately scrapped the bout.

New Blood:

Terrion Ware will make his Octagon debut when he takes on fellow newcomer Cody Stamann. Also, undefeated prospect Trevin Giles will face another UFC rookie as he takes on James Bochnovic, who has won eight straight on the regional circuit.

How The “Prelims” Look:

Headlining the “Prelims” portion of the event is a interesting Heavyweight fight between Travis Browne and Oleksiy Oliynyk. Brown is in the worst slump of his career, losing three in a row dating back to 2016. Sure, his personal life seems to be going great, but he needs a win bad to salvage his career. Also, Jordan Mein will look to pick up his first win since 2014 after dropping back-to-back fights. Not a good look for a fighter who many felt had all the potential in the world to be a UFC posterboy. It won’t be easy, as Belal Muhammad has proven to be a tough nut to crack.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Anthony Pettis was once sitting atop of the UFC world. With endorsements from Wheaties and other blue chip sponsors to go along with his Lightweight title, “Showtime” was seemingly on the cusp of becoming the “next big thing.” Instead, Pettis has dropped three of his last four fights, including his most previous defeat to current Featherweight champion Max Holloway. Sure, he got back in the win column once he dropped down to 145 pounds against Charles Oliveira, but it didn’t do much as far as erasing the memory of losing three in a row at Lightweight, including coughing up his strap to Rafael dos Anjos. Now back at Lightweight, “Showtime” will have to put on a dazzling performance against one of the grittiest fighters on the roster in Jim Miller, who is also looking to get back on the winning track. Losing another one will send Pettis back to the drawing board, but not to Featherweight. Sure, he’ll still keep his job, as he is always highly-entertaining, but another loss will likely sink him down a deeper hole he has to climb out of if he ever wants to get back to the big dance.

Interest Level: 8/10.

It really is an overall great card, as two title fights is nothing to scoff at. Plus, We also get a trilogy fight between Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem. The score is tied at one a piece and both men would like to get the edge over the other and possibly get back to the big dance. Romero and Whittaker should be bananas, are they are both riding the two longest win streaks in the division, as Romero has eight straight victories to Robert’s seven in a row. And with the chance to get their hands on Bisping on the line, you can bet they won’t be lacking motivation. Amanda Nunes has been on fire since 2015 and has no shown no signs of cooling off. But with a “Bullet” coming straight at her, she’ll have to be on her “A” game if she wants to remain champion.

Full UFC 213 Fight Card:

UFC 213 PPV Main Event:

135 lbs.: UFC Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko

UFC 213 PPV Co-Main Event:

185 lbs.: Yoel Romero vs. Robert Whittaker for interim Middleweight title

UFC 213 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):

265 lbs.: Curtis Blaydes vs. Daniel Omielanczuk
170 lbs.: Donald Cerrone vs. Robbie Lawler POSTPONED — Full report here
265 lbs.: Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Anthony Pettis

UFC 213 Prelims on FOX Sports 1 (8 p.m. ET):

265 lbs.: Travis Browne vs. Oleksiy Oleinik
170 lbs.: Brian Camozzi vs. Chad Laprise
185 lbs.: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Thiago Santos
170 lbs.: Jordan Mein vs. Belal Muhammad

UFC 213 Prelims on UFC Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
145 lbs.: Cody Stamann vs. Terrion Ware
205 lbs.: James Bochnovic vs. Trevin Giles

For more upcoming UFC events click here.