UFC 256: Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling reportedly becomes second title fight scratched
The title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 256 is off, according to reports to MMA Fighting and MMA Island.
The bantamweight bout scheduled for Dec. 12 in Las Vegas is no longer taking place at that time. Instead, the sides will try to reschedule it, per MMA Fighting. Yan was reportedly forced out of the fight due to “personal issues,” and officials hope to get it back on the schedule as early as February.
It’s the first title defense for Yan.
It’s the second title fight to be scraped from the card. Amanda Nunes, a dual-division champion, and Megan Anderson, the featherweight challenger, were to fight on the card. Nunes was reportedly forced out with an undisclosed injury earlier this month.
The only fight left on the card is Deiveson Figueiredo defending the men’s flyweight title versus Brandon Moreno. The fight hasn’t been finalized, per MMA Fighting, but the sides have verbally agreed.
The 12/12 Petr Yan x Aljamain Sterling 135 title fight is off, per sources. No new date yet. Undisclosed reasons for Yan, sources say. Not injury, though.
So, 256 is back to only having 1 title fight on the card: Figueiredo x Moreno.
First reported by @MMAisland.— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 22, 2020
UFC 256 was initially a welterweight championship between title-holder Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Nunes-Anderson was the co-main event. But Usman seemed unable to go on Dec. 12 and Nunes-Anderson was moved to the main event. Yan-Sterling came on to co-headline.
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