Fan-favorite UFC 287 fight off, opponent injured
By Amy Kaplan
A highly anticipated fight for UFC 287 has officially been scrapped, fighter says.
It's fight week and UFC 287 is already short one fight.
While appearing on The MMA Hour on Monday, Michael Chiesa confirmed that he was off UFC 287 after the UFC failed to book a replacement for his injured opponent.
This news isn't a total shock as it was already announced that Li Jingliang was out due to a spinal injury but there had been hope that the UFC might find someone to replace Jingliang and keep Chiesa on the card.
“There was talk of keeping me on the card,” Chiesa said. “I’m not going to name names of the guys who were offered who turned it down, because it was a matter of visa issues and some guys not being able to make weight. I’m not that type of guy to go out there and blast, like, ‘So-and-so turned it down.’ Look, I’m a tough out for anybody at 170 pounds, especially if you only have a couple of weeks to prepare.”
Full UFC 287 fight card
MAIN CARD - 10 p.m ET / 7 p.m PT - ESPN+ pay-per-view
- Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2—middleweight title fight
- Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal
- Rob Font vs. Adrian Yanez
- Kevin Holland vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
- Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Christian Rodriguez
PRELIMS - 8 p.m ET / 5 p.m PT - ESPN or ESPN+
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Chris Curtis
- Michelle Waterson vs. Luana Pinheiro
- Gerald Meerschaert vs. Joe Pyfer
- Chris Barnett vs. Chase Sherman
EARLY PRELIMS - 6 p.m ET / 3 p.m PT - UFC Fight Pass
- Gerald Meerschaert vs. Joe Pyfer
- Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lupita Godinez
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Trey Ogden
- Sha Yilan vs. Steve Garcia
- Jacqueline Amorim vs. Sam Hughes
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