Two fights from next Sunday’s UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs. Oliveira in Pittsburgh are now off the card, although one of them has been rescheduled for UFC 196.
Next Sunday’s (February 21st) UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs. Oliveira card on FS1 was supposed to feature a whopping 14 fights, as opposed to the usual 11-13. As of this weekend, two fights have been lost, with one of those cancelled matchups confirmed for a move to next month’s big UFC 196 pay-per-view.
A welterweight main card scrap between Brandon Thatch and Siyar Bahadurzada has been rescheduled for UFC 196 on March 5th. In a statement released on Friday, the UFC announced that Thatch wasn’t given clearance from the Pennsylvania AC for unspecified medication that is otherwise approved under the UFC/USADA policy.
Thatch, who is using a medication permitted under the UFC/USADA, WADA and Nevada State Athletic Commission anti-doping rules, was unable to obtain the necessary clearance from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. The Colorado fighter and his team have been in communication with the UFC and USADA throughout this process, and the required paperwork for licensing in Nevada has been filed.
Meanwhile, a women’s bantamweight contest between Sarah Moras and Lauren Murphy has been nixed after Moras pulled out with an undisclosed injury. MMA Junkie reported the news on Friday, noting that UFC officials are looking for a late-notice replacement to fight Murphy. Presumably if no suitable opponent turns up over the next couple of days, Murphy will be pulled from the card and a 14-fight lineup will have been reduced to 12.
With news of Thatch-Bahadurzada heading to 196, the bout order has been reshuffled accordingly. Chris Camozzi vs. Joe Riggs has been bumped to the FS1 main card, while Nathan Coy vs. Jonavin Webb goes from Fight Pass to the FS1 prelims.