Amir Albazi was not medically cleared to fight this weekend.
Albazi was scheduled to face Tatsuro Taira in the main event of UFC Vegas 108 this weekend, but on Monday, news broke that Albazi was out of the event for undisclosed reasons and would be replaced by Hyun Sung Park. Now, we know a little bit more about why Albazi was forced off the card.
On Tuesday, Albazi released a statement via social media about his withdrawal, citing medical issues that prevented him from being cleared for the event,
saying he tried to power through but was ultimately not allowed to compete.
View this post on Instagram
“I’m heartbroken to announce that I won’t be fighting on August 2nd.
“I finished my whole training camp and did everything I could, but I wasn’t medically cleared in time. The UFC and the commission made the call for my safety. I respect their decision even though I wanted to step in to that cage and take care of business.
“I’ll be back stronger and better. This is just a setback, not the end.
“Thank you to my fans, my team, and everyone who supports me through the ups and downs.”
Currently ranked No. 4 in the UFC flyweight rankings, Albazi began his UFC career with five straight wins, putting himself on the cusp of a title shot. However, in his most recent fight, Albazi lost a unanimous decision to former two-time champion Brandon Moreno in their main event fight at UFC Edmonton in November. Albazi’s overall career record stands at 17-2.
More from mmafighting.com:
- Dan Hooker rips UFC over canceled tickets: ‘I’m not going to break my back for a company that doesn’t respect me’
- Tom Aspinall slams Michael Chandler for ‘bad fight IQ,’ Chandler responds
- Khalil Rountree reveals real reason UFC abandoned new glove design
- Shavkat Rakhmonov’s wife, son in stable condition after car accident in Kazakhstan; 2 reported dead
- Islam Makhachev reacts to Ilia Topuria jumping him in UFC rankings, teases date for next fight
- Jon Anik criticizes referee for not stopping brutal UFC Abu Dhabi fight earlier, suggests 5-knockdown rule
- Khabib Nurmagomedov admits lengthy prep time makes comeback unlikely
