Derrick Lewis was forced to pull out of his fight against Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton just one day before the fight was scheduled to take place.
The heavyweight showdown was scheduled to take place on Saturday’s Fight Night card, featuring Brandon Moreno and Rose Namajunas.
Initial reports suggested that Lewis would not appear at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins, but could still compete at the Rogers Place arena.
Lewis appeared at the early weigh-ins and made the non-title limit of 266 pounds for heavyweight, but has since been removed from the event. The promotion announced that he had an unspecified, non-weight-loss-related medical issue.
With the fight canceled and no time to find a replacement opponent for Diniz, it is not yet known whether the fight will be rescheduled for a later date.
Derrick Lewis pulled out of his fight against Jhonata Diniz just one day before UFC Edmonton
The unfortunate withdrawal marks the third time Lewis has had to pull out of a fight on short notice during his UFC career.
In 2016, he was scheduled to face former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 216, but was unable to compete after suffering a flare-up of a back injury following the weigh-in.
In 2022, Lewis pulled out of a main event with Sergei Spivak on the eve of UFC Vegas 65, just hours before the fight was scheduled to take place.
Lewis later revealed that he had tested positive for COVID.
The 39-year-old has long been a fan favorite in the heavyweight division for his charisma and knockout power.
Lewis has competed in the Octagon 29 times since signing with the UFC in 2014
In the decade since signing with the UFC, Lewis has compiled a 19-10 record inside the Octagon.
He has fought for UFC gold twice, losing via second-round submission to Daniel Cormier in 2018 before being knocked out by Ciryl Gane in their interim title fight in 2021.