One of the year’s most anticipated flyweight bouts has now been thrown on the scrap heap as the 125-pound showdown between Scott Jorgensen and Ian McCall has officially been shelved. The former bantamweight title challenger and the top-ranked flyweight were set to mix it up at UFC on Fox 9 on Dec. 14, but an injury to “Uncle Creepy” has forced him out of the fight.
According to a report originally released by MMA Junkie, McCall has suffered an undisclosed injury during training and has been removed from the bout with Jorgensen. The report also went on to say that Jorgensen will look to remain on the card and a replacement is being sought.
The 31-year-old Idaho-based fighter is coming off a loss to perennial contender Urijah Faber in his most recent showing at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale back in April and is looking to find a new home in the flyweight division. The matchup with McCall was set to be his official debut in the 125-pound collective and had the potential to launch the winner into title contention.
Losing McCall as his opponent will certainly take a bit of the buzz off Jorgensen’s flyweight debut, but the arrival of “Young Guns” to the 125-pound fold is certainly highly anticipated. He was a former title challenger to the bantamweight crown in the WEC and has remained a staple in the upper-tier of the 135-pound division under the UFC banner. Now, with a move to flyweight, Jorgensen instantly figures to be a major player in the development of the 125-pound division.
As for McCall, the injury comes at a time when he was just starting to make a move toward a championship opportunity. After a rough start under the UFC banner where he went 0-2-1, the Southern California native picked up a much-needed victory over Iliarde Santos at UFC 163 in August. The bout with Jorgensen could have potentially earned him a title opportunity, but the injury will make sure that won’t be materializing in the immediate future.
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