A bantamweight matchup between Johnny Eduardo (26-9 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Lucas Martins (14-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has been scratched from next week’s UFC Fight Night 32 event.
FOX Sports first reported that both fighters are injured and have been forced to withdraw from the card. MMAjunkie.com subsequently confirmed the change with sources close to the event.
Featuring a light-heavyweight headliner of Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson, UFC Fight Night 32 takes place Nov. 9 at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. The evening’s main card airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims that stream on Facebook.
Martins was looking to build on the strength of a dominant 70-second submission victory over Junior Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 28, which brought his current UFC winning streak to two. A first-round loss to Edson Barboza marked his octagon debut in January. Prior to that, the 24-year old Brazilian had never tasted defeat.
Meanwhile, Eduardo is much more acquainted with setbacks, and the biggest issue of his career at the moment might be cage rust. The 35-year-old Brazilian hasn’t fought since UFC on FUEL TV 3, where he outpointed the now-retired Jeff Curran in May 2012. He debuted in the octagon at UFC 134, where he lost a unanimous decision to Rafael Assuncao. Eduardo has also withdrawn from previous scheduled appearances at UFC 139 and UFC 158.
With the late scratch, the UFC Fight Night 32 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD
For more on UFC Fight Night 32, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Johnny Eduardo)
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