(Let me guess…motorboating accident? / Photo via Getty)
Has the UFC injury bug emerged from its slumber to tear some more upcoming events to shreds? The latest fighter to be struck down is welterweight veteran Josh Koscheck, who has been forced to withdraw from his meeting with Demian Maia at UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie (August 3rd; HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro) due to an undisclosed injury.
When this fight was originally booked, we thought it might be the UFC’s way of getting rid of Kos. (Maia is on a three-fight win streak at 170 pounds, Koscheck has lost his last two, and the fight is in Brazil, for God’s sake.) So maybe this injury was a blessing in disguise — unless the UFC just re-books Koscheck vs. Maia for their next Brazilian event.
UFC 163 will proceed with 12 scheduled bouts instead of 13. The current lineup is after the jump…
MAIN CARD (PPV, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)
Jose Aldo vs. Chan Sung Jung
Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida
Cezar Ferreira vs. Clint Hester
John Lineker vs. Phil Harris
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT)
Sheila Gaff vs. Amanda Nunes
Neil Magny vs. Sergio Moraes
Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson
Josh Clopton vs. Rani Yahya
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 PT)
Ian McCall vs. Iliarde Santos
Viscardi Andrade vs. Bristol Marunde
Robert Drysdale vs. Ednaldo Oliveira