In an unexpected turn of events, just hours before the highly anticipated UFC 313 was set to kick off at the bustling T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, two fights were axed from the lineup. The heavyweight clash that many were eager to see, which was supposed to have Curtis Blaydes face off against Rizvan Kuniev, along with a featherweight battle featuring John Castaneda and Chris Gutierrez, have both been pulled due to illness.
The UFC made the announcement that both Blaydes and Castaneda were struck with illnesses, leading to the unfortunate cancellation of their respective matches. There’s no word yet on whether these fights will be rescheduled for future events, leaving fans and fighters alike in suspense.
Despite these changes, UFC 313 will roll on, albeit with a slimmed-down card of ten bouts and a shuffled order of fights. This rearranged schedule means fans will see just a single early preliminary match. Here’s the updated lineup for the evening:
Main Card:
- Alex Pereira will take on Magomed Ankalaev
- A thrilling encounter between Rafael Fiziev and Justin Gaethje
- Ignacio Bahamondes versus Jalin Turner promises fireworks
- Amanda Lemos faces Iasmin Lucindo
- King Green against Mauricio Ruffy
Preliminary Card:
- Rei Tsuruya in action against Joshua Van
- Brunno Ferreira ready to battle Armen Petrosyan
- Carlos Leal will step into the octagon with Alex Morono
- Francis Marshall squaring up against Mairon Santos
Early Preliminary Bout:
- Ozzy Diaz going head-to-head with Djorden Santos
So while some eagerly awaited matchups have been shelved for the time being, there’s still plenty of action to look forward to at UFC 313.
