Islam Makhachev has been forced out of the biggest fight of his career, and now the UFC needs a new main event on Saturday.
According to ESPN, Makhachev has been forced to withdraw from his lightweight headliner vs. Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 182, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.
The report cited an “undisclosed injury” as the reason behind Makhachev’s (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) removal from the card. His team did not immediately respond to MMA Junkie’s request for confirmation.
The promotion is currently seeking a new opponent for dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) on just six days’ notice.
Dos Anjos is meant to return to lightweight for the first time since a November 2016 loss to Tony Ferguson. The Brazilian started out his welterweight tenure at 3-0, but has since dropped four of his past five, with his lone win coming over Kevin Lee. If he can find a new opponent, the Brazilian will return to his original weight class, where he hasn’t won since December 2015.
The matchup between dos Anjos and Makhachev has now been called off twice. The pair were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 254 in October, but dos Anjos tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to compete.
Shortly after the news broke, dos Anjos called on former Bellator champion Michael Chandler to step in as a replacement (via Twitter):
I wish @MAKHACHEVMMA a speed recovery. Looking for a new partner to dance. Looks like @MikeChandlerMMA is ready to go. Your move!
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) November 9, 2020
I wish @MAKHACHEVMMA a speed recovery. Looking for a new partner to dance. Looks like @MikeChandlerMMA is ready to go. Your move!
The latest UFC Fight Night 182 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. opponent TBA
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Khaos Williams
- Julian Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov
- Eryk Anders vs. Antonio Arroyo
- Daniel Rodriguez vs. opponent TBA
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Kay Hansen vs. Cory McKenna
- Miranda Granger vs. Ashley Yoder
- Alex Morono vs. Rhys McKee
- Louis Smolka vs. Jose Quinonez
- Randa Markos vs. Kanako Murata
- Geraldo de Freitas vs. Tony Gravely
- Don’Tale Mayes vs. Roque Martinez
