This month’s PFL 6 card has undergone a major shake-up.
Two of the promotion’s most notable heavyweights, former UFC champ Fabricio Werdum and top prospect Mohammed Usman, have withdrawn from the event. Professional Fighters League officials announced the news in a press release Tuesday.
Werdum could not receive medical clearance to compete at the event. Usman, meanwhile, was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.
Brazil’s Werdum (24-9-1, 1NC) had initially been defeated by Renan Ferreira at PFL 3 on May 6. However, replay showed that Ferreira had tapped while in a triangle, prior to his TKO finish of the former UFC champion. The result was subsequently overturned and the fight ruled a No Contest by the New Jersey Athletic Commission.
Usman (7-2) suffered his first loss since 2018 when he came up short against Brandon Sayles on that very same card. The heavyweight is the brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
With Werdum expected to have faced Sayles at this year’s PFL 6 event, and Usman matched up with Denis Goltsov, that pair has now been matched up against each other. Goltsov, a semifinalist in 2019, picked six points by securing a first round stoppage over Muhammed DeReese back at PFL 3. Sayles earned five points for the win against Usman.
The final fight on the PFL 6 card, headlined by Kayla Harrison vs. Cindy Dandois, will be announced at a later date. The event takes place June 25, 2021 in Atlantic City, NJ. It airs on ESPN+ and ESPN 2, and TSN in Canada.
