UFC Fight Night 260 has taken another hit just hours before the event.
Saturday’s event at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia (ESPN+), has now lost a second bout during fight week, both within the past 24 hours. Yesterday, the lineup lost a welterweight matchup between Oban Elliott and Jonathan Micallef. Elliott was forced to withdraw due to illness.
Now, the event has seen another fight scrapped due to illness. Justin Tafa has been forced out of his heavyweight matchup against Louie Sutherland. The UFC officially announced the news during the official weigh-ins on Friday.
Tafa (7-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) has withdrawn from two bookings this year. In June, he was scheduled to face Jhonata Diniz at UFC 317, but withdrew just shy of three weeks out. The 31-year-old heavyweight is currently on a two-fight skid, which includes a decision loss to Karl Williams and a TKO loss against Tallison Teixeira.
Justin is the second Tafa to withdraw from the event, as his brother Junior also had to take his name off the lineup due to injury, scrapping his bout against Ibo Aslan.
For Sutherland (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), the opportunity to debut in the UFC will have to wait. The Englishman was signed to the promotion after a four-fight winning streak under the Levels Fight League banner, including capturing the promotion’s heavyweight title in June by first-round finish.
UFC Fight Night 260 broadcasts live on ESPN+ Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT).
With the change, the UFC Fight Night 260 lineup includes:
- Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg
- Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan
- Jack Jenkins vs. Ramon Taveras
- Neil Magny vs. Jake Matthews
- Charlie Campbell vs. Tom Nolan
- Rodolfo Bellato vs. Navajo Stirling
- Loma Lookboonmee vs. Alexia Thainara
- Andre Petroski vs. Cam Rowston
- Josias Musasa vs. Colby Thicknesse
- Rolando Bedoya vs. Jamie Mullarkey
- Luana Carolina vs. Michelle Montague
- Elisha Ellison vs. Brando Pericic
