No, this is not a joke.
Ian McCall was scheduled to face Jarred Brooks tonight (Feb. 11) at UFC 208 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Many fans and analysts joked about the fighters making weight and how the fight was actually going to happen.
Unfortunately, it’s not.
Champions.co first got word of McCall falling ill and being removed from the card. MMANews.com’s very own Tim Thompson reached out to Brooks to confirm the news:
Just talked to Brooks. He has been told by the UFC McCall is officially out. @arielhelwani @TalkMMA @MMAjunkie
— Tim Thompson (@MMANEWS_TIM) February 11, 2017
This is a tough break for both competitors. McCall hasn’t competed since Jan. 2015. He’s had a number of fights fall through due to injuries, illnesses, and personal matters. This was supposed to be Brooks’ UFC debut and he was matched up with the No. 6 ranked flyweight in the promotion.
Brooks took to his Twitter account to respond to “Uncle Creepy’s” pullout. “The Monkey God” isn’t sympathetic:
. I scared the dude into sickness he was sick with fear
— Jarred Brooks (@The_monkeygod) February 11, 2017
The cause of McCall’s illness were gastrointestinal issues. Brooks told MMANews.com the following:
“I scared the poop out of him. I’m hurt that I couldn’t fight. Take this opportunity (to) rest up Ian, but you are not out of this. I still want this fight.”
