Another injury has forced Bryan Caraway out of a UFC fight.
Top-10 UFC bantamweight contender Bryan Caraway has scarcely been active since joining the promotion via the WEC, and he’ll wind up not fighting even once in 2017.
On Monday, MMAjunkie confirmed that Caraway suffered an injury and will not be fighting Luke Sanders at UFC Fresno on December 9th. He has since been replaced by Andre Soukhamthath, UFC officials announced on Tuesday.
The #6-ranked Caraway (21-7) has a 6-2 record in the UFC, with his only defeats coming by decision to Raphael Assuncao and Takeya Mizugaki. The 33-year-old handed Aljamain Sterling his first pro loss last year, but that’s Caraway’s last appearance inside the Octagon. Caraway has had a history of injuries and has pulled out of three fights since 2014.
With Caraway out, Soukhamthath (11-5) will look to get his first win in the UFC, having dropped consecutive split decisions to Albert Morales and Alejandro Perez earlier this year. “The Asian Sensation” is the former CES MMA bantamweight champion, and has recorded finishes in ten of his eleven professional victories. Sanders (11-1) is coming off a dramatic submission loss to Iuri Alcantara at UFC 209, in a fight he was otherwise dominating. The ex-RFA 135-pound titleholder made his UFC debut in January 2016, submitting Maximo Blanco in under four minutes. Sanders was slated to return at UFC Pittsburgh in September, but illness forced his opponent Felipe Arantes off the card, and Sanders was removed from the event.
UFC Fresno is headlined by a five-round featherweight main event between Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega. The night’s main card airs live on FS1, with prelims on FS2 and UFC Fight Pass.