A string of injuries have forced several changes to this month’s UFC On FOX 8 fight card that takes place in Seattle, Washington. Matt Mitrione, Siyar Bahadurzada, Bobby Green and Spencer Fisher have all pulled out of the event due to injuries, leading to changes in three fights and the cancellation of another.
Mitrione (6-2, 6-2 UFC) was scheduled to meet Brendan Schaub (9-3, 5-3 UFC) in a battle of heavyweights of season ten of “The Ultimate Fighter”, but Mitrione was forced to pull out due to injury. Schaub was pulled from the card altogether and the fight is expected to be added to a future fight card. Both were looking to notch their second straight win after ending two-fight skids in their last appearances. MMA Fighting first reported the news of Mitrione’s injury.
Bahadurzada (21-5-1, 1-1 UFC) was slated to meet Robbie Lawler (20-9 1 NC, 5-3 UFC) in a main card fight on the FOX network before he was forced out to another injury. Injuries have now forced Bahadurzada to pull out of three UFC bouts, and he has fought just twice since signing with the promotion in late 2011. Lawler will now fight Bobby Voelker (24-9, 0-1 UFC), who will be the third different opponent for Lawler on the card after his original opponent, Tarec Saffiedine, also was forced out due to injury. Lawler looks to build on a first-round knockout win over Josh Koscheck at UFC 157 while Voelker looks to rebound from a loss to Patrick Cote at UFC 158. UFC Tonight first tweeted the news of this change.
Green (20-5, 1-0 UFC) was looking to extend his five-fight win streak when he was expected to meet Danny Castillo (15-5, 5-2 UFC) on the card. Green will be replaced by Tim Means (18-4-1, 2-1 UFC). Castillo started his UFC career by splitting a win and a loss in his first two bouts but he has since won four of his last five fights. Means looks to rebound from a decision loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC On FOX 7 in April, which ended a nine-fight win streak. Means was scheduled to compete at the UFC’s last trip to Seattle in December before he was forced out due to a last-minute injury when he suffered a fall in the sauna while cutting weight. UFC Tonight tweeted the news of this change.
Fisher (24-9, 9-8 UFC) had announced his retirement following his last fight but was going to come out of it to meet Yves Edwards (42-19-1, 10-7 UFC). Edwards will now take on Daron Cruickshank (12-3, 2-1 UFC) in a preliminary card bout airing on FX. Fisher was looking to shake off retirement talk and a 1-5 mark over his last six fights before being forced out. Edwards and Cruickshank are both looking to rebound from decision losses in their last fights. Edwards lost to Isaac Vallie-Flagg at UFC 156 while Cruickshank lost to John Makdessi at UFC 158. UFC Tonight also tweeted news of this change.
UFC On FOX 8 takes place on July 27 from the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. Main card bouts air on the FOX network while preliminary card fights air on FX and Facebook. Demetrious Johnson defends the UFC Flyweight Championship against John Moraga in the night’s main event, plus Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger meet in a pivotal welterweight encounter.
