UFC Fight Night 50 will feature nine bouts as Charles Oliveira was forced out of tonight’s featherweight bout against Nik Lentz because of an illness in Mashantucket, Conn. UFC announced the news Friday.
Oliveira came in overweight for his rematch against Lentz, and had to forfeit 20 percent of his purse to his opponent. After the weigh-ins, the Brazilian featherweight told MMAFighting.com he was sick the week before the fight.
“I was sick for the past week in Brazil, and I was pretty bad when I got to the United States,” Oliveira told MMAFighting.com Thursday after coming in at 150 pounds. “I couldn’t cut weight, and I’m not feeling well to cut weight, so that’s why I missed weight. I had high fever, headache. I think it was a viral infection. But I was the one who asked for this fight, so I couldn’t withdraw.”
“do Bronx” wasn’t sure he would be able to recover and compete on Friday night, and doctors decided to remove him from the event.
UFC president Dana White confirmed to MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that Lentz will get paid both his win and show money. Oliveira won’t get paid anything, White said. The current UFN 50 fight card is the following:
Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET)
Ronaldo Souza vs. Gegard Mousasi
Alistair Overeem vs. Ben Rothwell
Matt Mitrione vs. Derrick Lewis
Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Chiesa
Undercard (FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET)
John Moraga vs. Justin Scoggins
Al Iaquinta vs. Rodrigo Damm
Rafael Natal vs. Chris Camozzi
Tateki Matsuda vs. Chris Beal
Sean Soriano vs. Chas Skelly