Just days removed from fight time, the UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie fight card is finally complete.
Luis Henrique had been slated to face Marcin Tybura at UFC 208 on Saturday in Brooklyn, N.Y., but was forced from the fight card after the New York State Athletic Commission would not approve him to fight because of corrective eye surgery he had last year, Henrique told MMAJunkie.com.
“The athletic commission surprised me by saying I couldn’t fight due to my surgery,” Henrique said. “They claimed that because of the type of incision, and the way it heals, it could come out of place. I asked my doctor, and she said that’s impossible. There’s no way.”
Henrique said that, currently, only the commissions in Nevada, Illinois, and his native Brazil would license him to fight. He is awaiting the UFC to schedule him for another bout.
In his stead, Octagon newcomer Justin Willis has agreed to fight Tybura on less than a week’s notice.
Tybura (14-2) is making his third start for the promotion, having split his first two bouts with a loss to Timothy Johnson in his debut and a victory over Viktor Pesta in his sophomore effort.
Willis (4-1) may be lacking in experience, but hopes that his training alongside the likes of UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez at American Kickboxing Academy will have him well prepared for the bout.
The UFC’s inaugural women’s featherweight championship, pitting Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie, headlines Saturday’s event at the Barclays Center.
