UFC 262 just lost its second main card bout in less than a week.
The middleweight showdown between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan has been removed from the May 15 pay-per-view (PPV) lineup, scheduled for Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, due to COVID-19 protocols in the Swede’s camp.
Marcel Dorff first brought word of the switch on Monday.
Fortunately for fight fans (and the division), the bout will be shipped to the UFC Vegas 27 card a week from Sat. night (May 22, 2021) at APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it will likely co-headline the “Font vs. Garbrandt” event.
Leon Edwards vs Nate Diaz was yanked from UFC 262 just last week.
The submission-savvy Hermansson (21-6) was on the cusp of a division title shot back in summer 2019, but untimely losses to both Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori have temporarily booted “The Joker” from the 185-pound title chase.
As for Shahbazyan (11-1), the middleweight “Golden Boy” seemed destined for greatness after jumping out to a perfect 11-0 start to his MMA career, only to have his wings clipped by veteran bruiser Derek Brunson in August 2020.
For the updated UFC Vegas 27 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.