Tonya Evinger Replaces Megan Anderson, Meets ‘Cyborg’ for FW Title at UFC 214

Megan Anderson has been forced to withdraw from her featherweight championship bout against Cristiane Justino at UFC 214 due to “personal issues,” the promotion announced Tuesday evening.

As a result, Invicta FC bantamweight queen Tonya Evinger will step in and face “Cyborg” on July 29 in Anaheim. UFC 214 takes place at the Honda Center and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones.

Evinger is unbeaten in her last 11 outings, eight have which have come inside the Invicta FC cage. She last appeared at Invicta FC 22, where she submitted Yana Kunitskaya with a rear-naked choke 4:32 into the second stanza on March 25. The 36-year-old known as “Triple Threat” owns victories over the likes of Colleen Schneider, Irene Aldana, Cindy Dandois, Ediane Gomes and Julie Kedzie during her professional career. Evinger is 19-5 with one no contest as a pro and has finished 15 of those triumphs inside the distance.

“I think I match up better than any of her other opponents," Evinger told UFC.com. "I think my style is really unpredictable. I’m tough and you’ve never seen me in a fight where I got my ass really beat up. I think I’m a perfect matchup; I drag people where they don’t want to go and I make a fight hard for them. I don’t fight other people’s fights. It’s a frame of mind. I’m just an old school wrestler and I think it’s just a frame of mind. We’re tough and we come out there to fight.”

Justino might be the most feared female in mixed martial arts today. She owns a 17-1 professional mark, with 15 triumphs coming via knockout or technical knockout. “Cyborg” was impressive in two 140-pound catch-weight appearances in the Octagon, as she stopped Lina Lansberg in the second round at UFC Fight Night 95 and Leslie Smith in the opening frame at UFC 198.