6 weirdest UFC fight cancellations
Scheduled fights get called off all the time, but sometimes the bizarre circumstances are tough to believe.
With the coronavirus postponing and canceling fights over the last few weeks, here's a look back at six of the weirdest canceled UFC matchups.
TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao - UFC 177
TJ Dillashaw shocked the world in May 2014 after dominating Renan Barao at UFC 173 to claim the bantamweight title. The Brazilian would bounce back in his next fight to submit Canadian Mitch Gagnon, setting up a rematch with Dillashaw at UFC 177.
Unfortunately, Barao was forced to withdraw the night before his main-event matchup after fainting during the weight cut. Because a title fight generally headlines pay-per-view cards, the UFC didn't want to bump the co-main event, which was a lightweight bout pitting Tony Ferguson against Danny Castillo. Instead, the promotion tried to find Dillashaw an opponent in less than 24 hours.
Joe Soto, who was initially scheduled to make his promotional debut during the same event against Anthony Birchak, was given that opportunity. Dillashaw ended up knocking out Soto in the fifth round to retain his title.
The now 34-year-old would face Barao the following year at UFC on FOX 16, earning another TKO victory.
Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko II - UFC 213
Amanda Nunes was set to defend her women's bantamweight title for the second time against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 213. The pair previously fought at UFC 196, with Nunes picking up a unanimous decision victory over "The Bullet."
However, hours before the event, UFC President Dana White revealed Nunes was unable to compete due to a medical issue. Joanna Jedrzejczyk did offer to step up on short notice, but the UFC opted to postpone the title fight. Instead, the vacant middleweight title clash between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero became the main event of UFC 213.
Nunes later revealed on social media that she suffers from chronic sinusitis and was experiencing trouble breathing during the day of the fight. The two would square off two months later at UFC 215, with Nunes picking up a split decision victory.
Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC 223
You can't talk about fight cancellations without discussing Tony Ferguson against Khabib Nurmagomedov. In 2017, after three scheduled fights fell through, it finally seemed like this matchup would take place at UFC 223.
On April 1 of all dates, seven days before their scheduled matchup, Ferguson revealed on social media that he tore his LCL while tripping over a cable during an in-studio interview. What happened next remains one of the most bizarre weeks in UFC history.
Needing to find an opponent for Nurmagomedov, the UFC flew out then-featherweight champion Max Holloway from Hawaii. Despite competing in a weight class above for that fight, "Blessed" struggled to make the 155-pound limit, and the New York State Athletic Commission deemed him unfit to compete.
Instead, Al Iaquinta, who was scheduled to fight Paul Felder on the card, was bumped to the main event against "The Eagle." The AKA product defeated Iaquinta by decision to capture the vacant lightweight championship.
It appeared as though a fifth scheduled matchup between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson was set for April 18th at UFC 249. However, travel restrictions due to the coronavirus are keeping Nurmagomedov in Russia. Ferguson will now face Justin Gaethje for the interim title.
Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega - UFC 226
After a failed bid to fight Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, Max Holloway was scheduled to defend his featherweight title in July 2018 against then-undefeated Brian Ortega at UFC 226.
While participating in the fight week open workouts, Holloway's speech during his media scrum on Wednesday and in later interviews appeared to be off. As a result, his management team decided to pull the Hawaiian off the event due to concussion-like symptoms.
Luckily, this title fight would be rescheduled for UFC 231 in December that year, with Holloway earning an impressive fourth-round TKO victory over "T-City."
Nicco Montano vs. Valentina Shevchenko - UFC 228
Nicco Montano captured the inaugural UFC women's flyweight title after defeating Roxanne Modafferi in the finals of "The Ultimate Fighter 26." Despite proving her doubters wrong as the dark horse that season, the now 31-year old would never get the chance to defend her title.
Sidelined for the first half of 2018 due to injuries, Montano was scheduled to face Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 228. However, during the weigh-ins, the Albuquerque native was pulled from the fight due to kidney issues. Instead of rescheduling the title bout, the UFC stripped Montano of her flyweight belt.
Shevchenko would go on to capture the vacant title at UFC 231 after defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk by unanimous decision.
Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum - UFC 234
Following a successful title defense against Yoel Romero at UFC 225, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was selected as a coach opposite Kelvin Gastelum for "The Ultimate Fighter 28." After filming wrapped up, the pair were scheduled to fight at UFC 234 in Whittaker's backyard of Melbourne, Australia.
Surprisingly, just hours before the matchup, Whittaker was pulled from the event due to a hernia and slated to undergo surgery. Because of the recovery time needed, the UFC decided to arrange an interim middleweight title fight between rising contender Israel Adesanya and Gastelum at UFC 236 two months later.
Adesanya would emerge as the interim champion after a five-round war with Gastelum, picking up a unanimous decision victory. "The Last Stylebender" would follow up that performance at UFC 243 by knocking out Whittaker in the second round to become the undisputed champion.