Although their absence from ceremonial weigh-ins was chalked up to “safety concerns,” the heavyweight matchup between Anthony Hamilton vs. Adam Wieczorek has now been pulled from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 118 lineup.
UFC officials told MMAjunkie that the two fighters did not appear on stage at weigh-ins because of security concerns inside Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. However, hours later, the promotion announced the fight was off the card and will now take place at Nov. 19 at UFC Fight Night 121 from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
Wieczorek (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Hamilton (15-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) were in attendance at the ceremonial weigh-ins. However, a few dozen Lechia Gdansk “ultras” – extreme and sometimes violent supporters of the local soccer team – showed up just prior to the session. Wieczorek is a supporter of Ruch Chorzow, a Lechnia Gdansk rival team from South Poland.
Police in riot gear outside of Ergo Arena following UFC-Gdansk ceremonial weigh-ins.
After the group made their presence known with a few synchronized chants, venue staffers put up a barricade in front of the section where the rowdy fans were seated. The UFC took precaution in keeping Wieczorek and Hamilton from participating in the weigh-ins.
Police sporting riot gear quickly gathered outside of the arena, stopping spectators as they exited, and asked for identification.
UFC Fight Night 118 will now proceed with 11 bouts.
With the change to the card, UFC Fight Night 118 currently includes:
MAIN CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 3 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 12:15 p.m. ET )
For more on UFC Fight Night 118, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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