UFC star Anthony Johnson has reportedly been forced to withdraw from his July 23 matchup against Glover Teixeira.
Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com reported Johnson's withdrawal. Damon Martin of Fox Sports confirmed the report, adding it was for "undisclosed reasons at this time, but an injury is most likely the cause."
UFC on Fox 20 takes place in Chicago and is headlined by a women's bantamweight bout between former champion Holly Holm and Valentina Shevchenko.
Johnson and Teixeira were scheduled to be the semi-main event in a crucial matchup in the light heavyweight division. They are ranked second and third, respectively, in UFC's official rankings, behind Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, who will fight for the undisputed title at UFC 200 on July 9.
The 32-year-old Johnson has been on a roll since losing to Cormier at UFC 187 in May 2015, defeating Jimi Manuwa and Ryan Bader by knockout in two matches that earned him Performance of the Night bonuses.
Martin noted that Teixeira is still expected to fight on the card, as the UFC is in search of a replacement opponent. He is also looking to keep his momentum going; he has finished each of his last three opponents after losing to Jones and Phil Davis in 2014.
There are still five weeks before the show takes place, which offers enough time for a replacement opponent to train even if he won't have the opportunity to enjoy a full camp.
The loss of this match does hurt the overall quality of the show, but Teixeira's exciting style will at least make the potential semi-main event must-see television if the UFC finds a suitable opponent.
