UFC Vegas 22 — which is set to go down this Sat. night (March 20) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada — has lost one of its bouts. According to MMA Fighting, Johnny Eduardo ran into some visa issues, which has forced him out of his fight against Anthony Birchak.
The Bantamweight showdown was expected to go down on the “Prelims.”
Eduardo was looking to stop the bleeding of his current two-fight losing streak. Since 2015, Eduardo is just 1-3 inside the Octagon, putting him on very thin ice. Since 2014, the Brazilian bomber has only been able to compete once a year and 2021 is already off to a bad start for him.
As for Birchak, he was also hoping to secure a much-needed victory after losing to Gustavo Lopez via submission in Nov. 2020. The defeat was his fourth in last six fights, his first under the UFC banner after making his way back to the Octagon after a four-year hiatus from the promotion. UFC is currently looking for a replacement for Eduardo.
UFC Vegas 22 will be headlined by Kevin Holland taking on Derek Brunson at Middleweight, while Gregor Gillespie vs. Brad Riddell co-headlines the event. In further action, Don’Tale Mayes takes on Tai Tuivasa in Heavyweight action.