Viral infection scratches Ian McCall from UFC Fight Night 56 bout vs. John Lineker

UBERLANDIA, Brazil – UFC flyweight Ian McCall (13-4-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC) was taken to the hospital Friday night and diagnosed with a viral infection that will keep him from fighting John Lineker (24-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 56 on Saturday.

Due to the last-minute withdrawal, Lineker will not fight at the event, a source close to the fight confirmed to MMAjunkie. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about McCall’s condition.

It’s unknown whether the fighters will be paid their show money, although previous fighters have been compensated.

UFC Fight Night 56 takes place at Ginasio Municipal Tancredo Neves in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The main card airs on FOX Sports 1. McCall vs. Lineker was scheduled to be the co-main event.

McCall’s participation was first called into question by UFC President Dana White, who tweeted during tonight’s UFC Fight Night 55 that the fighter was sick and “might not be able to fight.”

The exact type of viral infection McCall is suffering from is unknown, but the fighter’s condition went downhill after UFC Fight Night 56’s weigh-ins. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was briefly treated and released.

Prior to his trip to Brazil, McCall told MMAWeekly.com’s Majority Radio that he was battling illness in training camp.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, but I just got my blood work back, my white blood cell count is through the roof,” he said. “I’m sick, over-trained, or whatever it may be. That’s what happens. That’s the fight game. It’s not an excuse. I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. This is just how it goes.”

McCall, 30, hoped to put himself into title contention for a rematch with champ Demetrious Johnson, who outpointed him in the UFC’s inaugural flyweight title tournament. Lineker, meanwhile, wanted a second chance to get in consideration after a title eliminator against Ali Bagautinov ended in a decision loss in February.

At the UFC Fight Night 56 weigh-ins on Friday, it looked like Lineker was the more troubled fighter, as he failed to make weight on the first attempt for the fourth time he was on a UFC scale. He later hit the 126-pound mark on his second attempt.

MMAjunkie was unable to reach McCall for comment.

For more on UFC Fight Night 56, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.