UFC Austin has lost a main card bout just days before fight night.
A planned strawweight fight between former WSOF champion Jessica Aguilar and ex-Invicta titleholder Livia Renata Souza will have to wait a little bit longer.
Souza withdrew from this Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 126 main card due to a right hand injury. Aguilar will not get a replacement opponent, so she’s also been removed from the card.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Aguilar said to MMA Fighting. “You always see the good in things, even when it’s not a good situation. It will help you stay focused and overcome whatever it is you going through. I appreciate all the support from my fans, and excited to show that I’m still one of the top fighters in my division.”
The UFC is looking at rebooking this matchup for UFC on FOX 28 (February 24th) or UFC 222 (March 3rd), so it’s not a long-term injury that Souza has suffered.
Aguilar (19-6) has fought just twice in the UFC since signing with the promotion in 2015, suffering decision losses to Claudia Gadelha and Cortney Casey. Her notable wins include two decisions over women’s MMA legend Megami Fujii, as well as a split decision vs. Carla Esparza.
Souza (11-1) won Invicta FC’s 115-pound championship in 2015, defended it successfully once before losing the title to Angela Hill. After consecutive wins over Ayaka Hamasaki and Janaisa Morandin, the Brazilian got her UFC call-up, but her debut will not be this weekend.
UFC Fight Night: Austin features a welterweight main event between Donald Cerrone and Yancy Medeiros. It is not yet known which preliminary card fight will be bumped up to the main card.