Kron Gracie will have to wait a little longer to make his return to MMA after not being medically cleared by the New York State Athletic Commission.
The UFC veteran was scheduled to face Tom Picciano for a featherweight title in a main event showdown this Friday at Victory Fighting League event at Terminal 5 in New York, but the promotion announced Wednesday they were forced to make changes on the card following Gracie’s withdrawal.
“Regrettably, Kron will not compete on Friday, as he did not receive
medical clearance from the New York State Athletic Commission,” VFL CEO Dan Anderson stated in a release. “We appreciate your patience and support during this period. We anticipate resolving this matter promptly and having Kron reappear to fight in the new year.”
It’s still unclear what issue led to the fight cancellation, but Gracie reacted on social media saying he is fit to compete.
“I’m cleared to fight with all my doctors,” Gracie wrote on Instagram Stories. “NYSAC has been very difficult in many ways! I am very ready and able to fight! I appreciate all my fans and friends who came out, I trained for 5 months and spent a lot of money on this camp, this sucks.”
Gracie hasn’t fought since losing by knockout to Bryce Mitchell in December 2024, his third defeat in a row in the UFC. The jiu-jitsu legend was 5-0 in his professional MMA career prior to decision losses to Cub Swanson and Charles Jourdain.
A bout between UFC veteran T.J. Brown and Dylan Mantello, originally the co-main event, has been promoted to the top of the VFL card. A bantamweight showdown between ex-UFC fighter Daniel Lacerda and Ashiek Ajim now serves as the co-headliner.
