Brok Weaver won’t be making his UFC debut this weekend.
Weaver (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who earned a UFC deal with a memorable performance in the cage and on the mic during this past season of Dana White’s Contender Series, has been forced to withdraw from this weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 19 event, MMA Junkie today confirmed with UFC officials.
A replacement is currently being sought to face Weaver’s intended opponent, fellow lightweight Thomas Gifford. Due to the difficulty of arranging a work visa on such short notice, prospective candidates will most likely need to be based in the U.S.
Gifford (17-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) made his UFC debut earlier this year, dropping a unanimous decision to Roosevelt Roberts in April at UFC on ESPN+ 8. The loss snapped a five-fight winning streak for “The Young Lion.”
A timetable for Weaver’s return wasn’t immediately clear.
UFC on ESPN+ 19 takes place Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The entire card streams live on ESPN+.
The latest UFC on ESPN+ 19 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
- Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson
- Kron Gracie vs. Cub Swanson
- Thomas Gifford vs. opponent TBA
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
- Matt Frevola vs. Luis Pena
- Eryk Anders vs. Gerald Meerschaert
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)
- Niko Price vs. James Vick
- Devin Clark vs. Ryan Spann
- Max Griffin vs. Alex Morono
- Tim Elliott vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
- Hector Aldana vs. Miguel Baeza
- Andrew Sanchez vs. Marvin Vettori
- J.J. Aldrich vs. Lauren Mueller
- Andre Ewell vs. Marlon Vera
