UFC 320 is down a man.
Ozzy Diaz is out of Saturday’s fight vs. Ateba Gautier at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, he announced Monday on Instagram. Diaz (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) cited a medical issue that caused him to be pulled from the bout, but he did not elaborate on what that issue is.
“Hey everyone, I have some really tough news to share,” Diaz wrote. “After careful consideration and talking with my team and medical professionals, I’ve had to make the heartbreaking decision to pull out of my fight this week. This isn’t a choice I ever thought I’d have to make, but my health and safety have to come first. I truly appreciate all your support and understanding during this time, and I promise to come back stronger soon. I would like to apologize to the @ufc and also to my opponent @ateba_theassassin. This decision was a hard one.
“But through it all, I trust God’s plan. I believe everything happens for a reason, even when I can’t see it yet. This is just another test, another chapter, and I promise you I will get back up. I’m going to keep fighting, keep believing, and keep pushing forward. Thank you to everyone who continues to ride with me. Your support means more than you know. This one hurts I’m truly heartbroken.”
It’s unclear if Cameroon’s Gautier (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will remain on the card. He’s one of the division’s most highly-touted prospects with two destructive performances in as many appearances.
Should no replacement be sought or found, UFC 320 will be down to 13 fights.
With the change, the UFC 320 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
- Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal
- Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
- Ozzy Diaz vs. Ateba Gautier
- Andre Muniz vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
- Farid Basharat vs. Chris Gutierrez
- Daniel Santos vs. JooSang Yoo
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos
- Patchy Mix vs. Jakub Wiklacz
- Punahele Soriano vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
- Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Austin Vanderford
- Veronica Hardy vs. Brogan Walker
