The main event of UFC 221 almost never came to be. After middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was forced out of action with a staph infection, his replacement, Yoel Romero, missed 185-pound limit for his bout with former champion Luke Rockhold.
After brief negotiation, the two sides agreed to keep the fight on with Rockhold taking a portion of Romero's paycheck, according to MMAFighting.com. Thankfully for our friends on the other side of the globe, the show will go on from Perth, Australia.
In the co-main event of the night, a showdown between two top-10 heavyweights will take center stage as No. 5-ranked contender Mark Hunt will take on No. 9-ranked Curtis Blaydes. The 26-year-old Blaydes, who's riding a four-fight win streak in the UFC, will look to make an even bigger name for himself if he can pull off the upset of a veteran the caliber of Hunt. With the heavyweight division needing some contenders, Blaydes has a chance to really make a name for himself with a win on Saturday and climb up the rankings.
Here's all the information you need to catch the UFC 221 action live on Saturday night in Australia.
How to watch UFC 221 main card
Date: Saturday, Feb. 10
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Perth Arena -- Perth, Australia
Stream: UFC.TV
Channel: PPV (check provider)
