Last month, Ronda Rousey was announced for the cover of EA Sports UFC 2, just a day before she was demolished by Holly Holm at UFC 193. Given that her perceived "invincibility" was a trait the company expected to take advantage of in the marketing of the game, that loss threw a wrench into their plans, and she'll now be away from the UFC for an extended period of time.
The other cover athlete will be decided upon by outcome at UFC 194. Conor McGregor takes on Jose Aldo in a featherweight unification title fight on December 12, with the winner joining Rousey on the cover of the video game.
MORE: McGregor comments on Rousey's loss | Rousey vs. Holm photos
This tactic will help avoid a situation where both cover athletes — EA would have selected McGregor if just going for who they really wanted — would be coming off losses in their most recent fights. McGregor is a slight favorite but many believe Aldo has just as good a shot at leaving as the undisputed champion despite not having fought since October 2014.
“The main event at UFC 194 between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor is without a doubt one of the most anticipated events in UFC history,” UFC President Dana White said. “Aldo and McGregor are two of the biggest stars in the world and it’s fitting that next Saturday night the winner not only becomes the undisputed UFC featherweight champion, but also the second global cover athlete of EA SPORTS UFC 2.”
EA Sports UFC 2 will release spring 2016 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Details on the central features for the game have already been revealed. The first effort from the company went out last summer, and was met with lukewarm reviews and disappointing sales, but it was greatly improved upon with post-release updates. That game is available to play for free as one of the many games provided with an EA Access subscription on Xbox One.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, has co-founded the new site HitThePass.com, is a regular participant on the Press Row Podcast and Hit The Pass Radio shows, and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.