Champ Max Holloway out of UFC 222 title defense against Frankie Edgar

UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway has been forced to withdraw from a fight for the first time in his career.

An unspecified injury has forced Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) to withdraw from his scheduled UFC 222 title defense against Frankie Edgar (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC). A person with knowledge of the injury today confirmed the news to MMAjunkie following an initial report from ESPN.com. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has not yet made a formal announcement.

UFC 222 takes place March 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

This is the second time the Holloway vs. Edgar fight has fallen apart. The fighters were booked for the UFC 218 main event in December, but Edgar was forced to withdraw due to a facial injury.

This time it’s the champion who is out of the bout, though the nature and extent of his injury is not known.

Stay tuned to MMAjunkie for more on this story as it develops.

For more on UFC 222, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.