UFC Abu Dhabi Loses Anticipated Fight Due to Injury

Abu Dhabi, UAE – The UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi hit a major snag today as the highly anticipated co-main event featuring Movsar Evloev and Aaron Pico has been canceled due to an injury. The event, scheduled for July 26, is still set to be headlined by a middleweight clash between former champion Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder.

UFC President Dana White announced the cancellation after confirming that Evloev, an undefeated featherweight contender, had to withdraw because of a health condition he sustained during training in Thailand. This injury marks another setback for Evloev, who was on a quest to secure a title shot with a win over Pico.

Evloev (19-0), known for his grappling and striking, was poised to welcome Pico, a former Bellator standout making his UFC debut, in what many expected to be a pivotal bout in the featherweight division. Evloev recently scored a victory over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300 and was considered a likely candidate to challenge reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski.

As of now, it remains unclear if the UFC will seek a replacement for Pico or reschedule the fight for a later date. According to reports, there are discussions to possibly move the matchup to UFC 319 in Chicago next month.

Despite this disappointment, the Abu Dhabi card still features a strong lineup. Whittaker vs. de Ridder leads as the main event, with fights like Petr Yan against Marcus McGhee and Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov promising excitement for fans.

UFC Abu Dhabi will proceed with a total of 12 bouts, minus the Evloev vs. Pico fight. The mixed martial arts community remains hopeful for a rescheduled date for what could have been one of the most significant showdowns of the year.