With the fight world still coming to grips with a shifting landscape for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, there is now officially another major change following Paulo Costa’s withdrawal from the main card.
The experienced Brazilian was due to face Khamzat Chimaev in an eagerly anticipated middleweight bout in the co-main event, but Dana White confirmed there was a possibility of it falling through due to injury.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the company’s leading decision-maker revealed Costa had been ruled out, with No.1-ranked welterweight Kamaru Usman set to replace him.
The Sporting News has the latest on the UFC 294 card below.
MORE: Alex Volkanovski to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 after Charles Oliveira injury
Is Paulo Costa out of UFC 294 bout with Khamzat Chimaev?
Costa sent UFC fans into a spin when he claimed he had surgery three weeks ago to treat a bursitis infection in his right elbow, putting his showdown with the dangerous Chimaev in serious jeopardy.
‘Borrachinha’ revealed he had attempted to hide the setback five weeks out from the fight from the UFC as he showcased the post-surgery damage on social media.
White has since confirmed that Costa is out of the co-main slot and has been replaced by Usman, who will be making the jump to middleweight for a showdown with Chimaev.
During a press conference on Tuesday night, the news of Oliveira’s eye injury and subsequent withdrawal from the lightweight title fight had first started to break hours earlier in the fighter’s home country, which left White frustrated.
“I would have announced it hours ago,” White said.
“Except I was waiting for the guys to wake up in Abu Dhabi to let them know before we reported it.
“But these guys that surround these guys down in Brazil just can’t keep their f***ing mouths shut. It came out of Oliveira’s camp, apparently. It’s just f***ing part of the business.
“I would have liked to have talked to the powers that be in Abu Dhabi before it got announced but people can’t keep their f***ing mouths shut for whatever reason.”
Volkanovski and Usman will now have less than two weeks to prepare for the blockbuster card in Abu Dhabi.
UFC 294 fight card
Islam Makhachev vs. Alex Volkanovski for UFC lightweight championship
Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev; middleweight
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker; light heavyweight
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Ikram Aliskerov; middleweight
Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov; bantamweight
Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev; flyweight
Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek; lightweight
Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry; bantamweight
Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas; middleweight
Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli; lightweight
Nathaniel Wood vs. Muhammad Naimov; featherweight
Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey; women’s strawweight
Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva; middleweight
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