Tony Ferguson is out of his scheduled UFC on FOX 19 headlining bout opposite Khabib Nurmagomedov. The co-main event bout pitting Rashad Evans vs. Glover Teixeira has been elevated to main event status. It will now be a five-round light heavyweight bout.
UFC officials confirmed the news, following an earlier report by FOX Sports.
Ferguson posted to social media about withdrawing from the bout, saying that doctors told him that he has fluid/blood in his lung.
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“I am out of my Fight Due to Blood/Fluid in my Lung,” Ferguson posted to his Instagram account. “Usually I can Power Through These things. Doc said it wasn’t wise to Fight due to any more trauma could be terminal. There are more Important things to me.”
The bout would have been Nurmagomedov’s first in two years, as he has been sidelined, nursing injuries of his own. As of the time of publication, UFC officials had yet to determine whether or not Nurmagomedov would remain on the card.
The injury blows apart the second UFC main event in less than a week, as Daniel Cormier was forced out of his planned UFC 197 main event rematch with Jon Jones late last week.
UFC on FOX 19 takes place on April 16 in Tamap, Fla. Aside from the new headliner between Evans and Teixeira, the main card also features Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson and Rose Namajunas vs. Tecia Torres.
