UFC 280 has been reduced to 12 fightings following the scrap of a featherweight fight between Zubaira Tikhugov & Lucas Almeida.
Before the official weigh-ins on Friday morning in Abu Dhabi, the UFC announced that the matchup had been pulled from Saturday’s pay-per-view card due to “weight management issues.”
UFC 280 will be held at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. It features two title fights. Ex-champ Charles Oliveira faces Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight belt. Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling takes on T.J. Dillashaw.
Tukhugov, a training partner of Makhachev and teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, hoped to put his second straight win on the board after a decision over Ricardo Ramos in his previous octagon appearance one year ago at UFC 267. His current UFC record stands at 5-2-1.
Almeida, meanwhile, was set to make his second UFC appearance after defeating The Ultimate Fighter 27 winner Mike Trizano at UFC Vegas 56. His record stands at 14-1.
