The UFC injury bug has not stayed in 2014. It’s still biting in unfortunate places.
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is injured and will have to pull out of his UFC 184 main event with Vitor Belfort, the UFC announced Friday. The co-main event between women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano will now serve as the headliner for the Feb. 28 card in Los Angeles. MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the news.
The Weidman-Belfort bout will likely be postponed. The UFC will not keep Belfort on the card. The UFC also announced Friday that a women’s bantamweight matchup between Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington would be the new co-main event.
Weidman’s injury was not immediately known, nor was a timetable for his return. The New York native has pulled out of several recent title fights with injuries, including a bout with Belfort that was initially scheduled for UFC 181 in December. Weidman last fought at UFC 175 in July, beating Lyoto Machida by unanimous decision.
Belfort has not competed since November 2013, a knockout win over Dan Henderson in Brazil. He pulled out of a fight with Weidman at UFC 175 after the Nevada Athletic Commission instituted a ban on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), a treatment that the Brazilian had been on for some time.
The undefeated Weidman (12-0) won the title from Anderson Silva, ending Silva’s seven-year reign over the division in July 2013. He then beat Silva in a rematch in December 2013 when Silva’s leg broke attempting a kick.