Yves Edwards-Piotr Hallmann Moved from UFC 173 to UFC Fight Night in Albuquerque

---

A lightweight contest planned for UFC 173 has a new home, as Yves Edwards will now collide with Piotr Hallmann during the UFC’s June 7 debut in Albuquerque, N.M.

UFC officials announced the change Tuesday, though a reason for the move was not revealed. UFC 173 takes place May 24 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, headlined by a bantamweight title clash between reigning champ Renan Barao and challenger T.J. Dillashaw.

The UFC’s trip to Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque takes place two weeks later and airs live on Fox Sports 1, topped by a lightweight clash pitting former champion Benson Henderson against Jackson’s MMA rep Rustam Khabilov.

Edwards, 37, posted his last victory in December 2012, when he knocked out Jeremy Stephens in the first round. The 64-fight pro then suffered back-to-back split decision losses to Isaac Vallie-Flagg and Daron Cruickshank before sustaining a knockout defeat at the hands of Yancy Medeiros last November. However, that result was later changed to a no-contest after Medeiros’s post-fight drug test came back positive for marijuana metabolites.

Eleven years the junior of his opponent, Hallmann saw a 10-fight winning streak snapped last October, when “TUF 15” alum Al Iaquinta outpointed the Polish prospect in Manchester, England. Prior to that setback, “Pletwal” made a successful Octagon debut at September’s UFC Fight Night 28, scoring a second-round submission over powerful Brazilian Francisco Trinaldo.