Yair Rodriguez will not be facing Zabit Magomedsharipov on Aug. 29.
Rodriguez vs. Magomedsharipov was scheduled to headline a UFC event later this month but it wasn’t meant to be. Mexican news outlet Milenio first reported that Rodriguez was forced off the card. Speaking to reporters following the 27th edition of his Contender Series, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Rodriguez suffered an injury.
“He had a high ankle sprain and a fracture,” White said. “He’s out.”
This isn’t the first time Rodriguez vs. Magomedsharipov has blown up in smoke. Back in 2018, the two were on tap to collide but “El Pantera” had an issue with the UFC that led to his brief release from the promotion.
White didn’t mention if the bout will be rescheduled. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that Calvin Kattar has offered to step up but the UFC hasn’t made a decision yet. Kattar has a unanimous decision loss to Magomedsharipov but the bout was highly competitive.
Magomedosharipov has been rising in the UFC featherweight rankings. His record stands at 18-1 and he is riding a 14-fight winning streak. Zabit hasn’t suffered a loss since April 2013. Under the UFC banner, he has a perfect record of 6-0.
