The promotion announced just minutes before UFC 309 began that Chris Weidman’s bout with opponent Eryk Anders was canceled due to Weidman’s illness. It was anticipated that the three-round middleweight fight would happen during the preliminary round.
Both Anders (16-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) and Weidman (16-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) appeared to have no trouble gaining weight at Friday’s weigh-ins. Both had expressed their eagerness for the fight. At the time of publication, neither fighter had responded to the cancellation.
Weidman posted a video on social media shortly after the announcement, expressing his displeasure with the cancellation.
If it had occurred, Weidman would have sought to build on his victory over Bruno Silva in March. Anders, who recently abstained from recreational drugs for the first time in 14 years, wanted to win three of four.
The updated UFC 309 fight card now features:
MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view)
- Champ Stipe Miocic vs. Jon Jones for the heavyweight title
- Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
- Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig
- Karine Silva vs. Viviane Araujo
- Comparing Mauricio Ruffy and James Llontop
(ESPNews/FX/Hulu, 8 p.m. ET) PRELIMINARY CARD
- Marcus McGhee vs. Jonathan Martinez
- Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson
- Diniz Jhonata vs. Tybura Marcin
- Mick Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj
PREMIUM CARD (ESPN+/Hulu, 6 p.m. ET)
- Oban Elliott vs. Bassil Hafez
Visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309 to learn more about the card.
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