Visa issues have struck another UFC fighter as Reza Madadi (13-3, 2-1 UFC) has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Michael Chiesa (9-0, 2-0 UFC) at UFC On FOX 8 in July. Chiesa will now take on Jorge Masvidal (24-7, 1-0 UFC) at the event. The news was reported on Tuesday’s edition of UFC Tonight.
Madadi was set to compete for the first time in the United States after having all 16 of his previous fights coming in Europe and Brazil. He last competed at UFC On FUEL TV 8 in April where he submitted Michael Johnson.
Chiesa looks to remain undefeated after notching nine straight wins to start his career. He won Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter” by submitting Al Iaquinta, and followed that up with another submission win over Anton Kuivanen at UFC 157 in February. He will be competing in his home state of Washington for the first time as a member of the UFC roster.
Masvidal made his UFC debut in April at UFC On FOX 7 and scored a unanimous decision win over Tim Means. Masvidal moved over from the Strikeforce promotion, where he went 6-1 with his lone loss coming to Gilbert Melendez in a Strikeforce Lightweight Championship bout.
UFC On FOX 8 takes place on July 27 from the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. It will be headlined by a UFC Featherweight Championship bout as Demetrious Johnson defends the title against John Moraga. Chiesa vs. Masvidal is the likely featured bout of the preliminary portion of the card. The main card airs on FOX while preliminary card fights air on FX and Facebook.
