UFC Vegas 22 will be without its co-main event later tonight (Sat., Mar. 20, 2021) live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nev., as a matchup between lightweights Gregor Gillespie and Brad Riddell has been removed from the card due to COVID-19 protocol.
Per an official UFC press release, the lightweight matchup will be postponed to a later date. No other details have been shared at this time.
This is devastating news for Gillespie as he was returning from a 16-month absence. The promising lightweight contender is coming off a brutal knockout loss to Kevin Lee back in 2019 and was hoping to get back in contention with a win over Riddell. “The Gift” will have to wait a little longer before avenging the first loss of his professional career.
Riddell, on the other hand, will miss out on a prime opportunity to fight someone ranked in the lightweight top 15. The New Zealand native has turned in a 3-0 record since making his UFC debut back in 2019 and packs some serious promise in the stacked 155-pound division. This was supposed to be his introduction into the upper echelon of lightweight fighters.
With Gillespie vs. Riddell removed from the card UFC Vegas 22’s updated lineup is as follows:
Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland
Song Kenan vs. Max Griffin
Cheyanne Buys vs. Montserrat Ruiz
Adrian Yanez vs. Gustavo Lopez
Tai Tuivasa vs. Harry Hunsucker
‘Prelims’ Undercard (ESPN2/ESPN+)
7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Marion Reneau vs. Macy Chiasson
Leonardo Santos vs. Grant Dawson
Trevin Giles vs. Roman Dolidze
Montel Jackson vs. Jesse Strader
JP Buys vs. Bruno Silva
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 22 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN2/ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN/ESPN+ main card start time at 10 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 22 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the complete “Brunson vs. Holland” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.