Battling a serious bacterial infection, former heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos has been forced to withdraw from the UFC Moscow card.
A massive blow has befallen UFC Moscow next month. Set for a heavyweight showdown with fellow contender Alexander Volkov, former champ Junior Dos Santos has been forced from the card. First reported by RTSport, Dos Santos is reportedly hospitalized with with a bacterial infection that he has been battling upwards of a week.
The pair were set to headline the Fight Night event, which marks the UFC’s second trip to Moscow. Dos Santos (21–6) was looking to bounce back from a loss to Francis Ngannou, which snapped a three-fight win streak for the former champ earlier this year.
Volkov (30–7) had his own six-fight win streak snapped last October when he was stopped by Derrick Lewis in the dying seconds of their fight at UFC 229. Lewis would go on to a title fight, while Volkov has not fought since.
The heavyweight landscape being what it is, there are a limited number of options to replace JDS in Moscow. Alistair Overeem headlines UFC on ESPN 7 against Walt Harris in December. Daniel Cormier is expected to meet Stipe Miocic for the third time a some point in 2020. Curtis Blaydes fought in September, and could be an option, as could Francis Ngannou, who is currently looking for a fight — though a title bout is what Ngannou is gunning for.
The UFC has not commented on Dos Santos’ exit from the UFC Moscow card. The event, numerically UFC Fight Night 163, takes place November 9 at the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia.
