UFC featherweight fighter Erik ‘New Breed’ Koch (13-1) is suffering from the flu bug and has been forced to withdraw from an upcoming UFC 143 fight against Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier (11-1).
UFC officials announced the news on Twitter (@ufc) Tuesday, with Koch confirming the news on his Twitter (@newbreed04) account.
@ufc – And in News We Freaking Hate: rising 145 star Erik Koch injured and out of his UFC 143 bout against Dustin Poirier, replacement fighter TBD.
@NEWBREED04 – Wanna apologize to all of my supporters I am very disappointed, but will be back with a vengeance! I do promise 2012 will be my year!
UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit is scheduled to take place on Saturday February 4th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Poirier (pictured), meanwhile, has asked for a new, saying he’d like a shot against ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung (12-3).
@DustinPoirier – I’m sure the @ufc will give me another great fight for 143 maybe the Zombie!! Sounds like a war to me!
Jung is coming off a seven-second knockout win over former featherweight title contender Mark Hominick. The two squared off on the main card of UFC 140 just ten days ago in Toronto, Ontario. Jung earned the “Knockout of the Night” bonus for the stoppage and has now won two straight.
Poirier has won all three of his fights with the UFC and is currently riding a four fight win streak. The former WEC fighter debuted with the UFC this past January making his featherweight debut versus Josh Grispi at UFC 125. ‘The Diamond’ would earn a decision win at the January 1st event, and would go on to defeat Jason Young at UFC 131, and then Pablo Garza last November at the first FOX event.
Jung came out virtually unscathed against Hominick and has asked for a tough opponent that would get him closer to a title shot versus champ Jose Aldo. This could certainly be that fight he’s looking for, but I don’t feel ‘The Korean Zombie’ has what it takes to beat Poirier.