A planned UFC on FUEL 4 matchup between Nick Penner and Tom DeBlass will be scrapped after an injury has sent Penner to the sidelines, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Fighting.
The pair had been scheduled to compete on the prelims of the July 11 event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
For both, it would have been a chance to earn their first octagon wins after falling in their respective UFC debuts.
Penner fought at March’s UFC on FX 2 show, suffering a TKO to Anthony Perosh in the final second of the first round. That defeat snapped an eight-fight win streak and dropped his record to 11-2.
DeBlass debuted a month later, facing Cyrille Diabate at UFC on FUEL 2. He accepted the opportunity to compete as a short-notice replacement and fought gamely before losing in a majority decision. It was the first loss of his pro career as he fell to 7-1.
It is currently unknown whether the UFC will seek a replacement for Penner or proceed with an 11-fight card, which is highlighted by a Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman main event.