The hits keep coming for UFC 180.
First, the night’s main attraction, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, was pulled from the event after suffering a knee injury.
Then, Joe Lauzon, one half of the hotly anticipated Lauzon vs. Diego Sanchez matchup on the main card, got bounced from the card, too, per MMAFighting.com’s Luke Thomas.
Now, Sanchez himself will not step into the cage in Mexico City, as an LCL injury will sideline him for the time being.
According to MMAjunkie.com, UFC officials announced Thursday evening that Sanchez was off the UFC 180 fight card, citing an article from Indiscutido.com, which mentions the LCL injury as the specific cause of Sanchez’s removal.
While Sanchez vs. Lauzon did not figure to be a No. 1 contender’s bout heading in, each fighter has a penchant for putting on wild fights, and their scrap was sure to be an absolute barnburner. Sanchez, for example, has claimed Fight of the Night honors seven times in his 21-fight UFC career. His Fight of the Night against Clay Guida in 2009 also earned Fight of the Year status.
Now, however, this news means the top two Mexican-American attractions heading into the UFC’s inaugural trip south of the border are now scratched from the card. Brutal.
Per the UFC’s official report, Edgar Garcia vs. Hector Urbina will slide onto the main card in the wake of Sanchez’s removal, and the card will proceed with 11 bouts.
To fully assess the damage done to this card, check out the current lineup:
There are still some solid fights to be sure, and a main event between Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum for the interim heavyweight title is can’t-miss television, but with Velasquez and Lauzon officially off the card, this trek to Mexico seems a little less monumental.
What do you think of the reshaped card? Is it still worth the pay-per-view price tag or is it officially ruined?
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com