Just moments after Friday’s UFC Vegas 44 weigh-in had ended, one fight fell off the card.
Following both fighters successfully weighing in for their heavyweight bout, promotion officials announced that the fight between Jared Vanderaa and Azamat Murzakanov had been cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols. A short time later, prior to face-offs, a clarification was provided: Jared Vanderaa was not medically cleared to compete. COVID protocols were not, in fact, to blame.
Vanderaa had taken the fight on short-notice. Murzakanov had originally been scheduled to face former PFL champ Philipe Lins.
A Dana White’s Contender Series winner, Azamat Murzakanov (10-0) was to make his octagon debut in the bout. For Vanderaa (12-6), the fight was a chance to bounce back from a recent loss to Alexander Romanov.
Saturday’s UFC Vegas 44 card will now move forward with the following fourteen fights:
Main Card
Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo
Brad Riddell vs. Rafael Fiziev
Clay Guida vs. Leonardo Santos
Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill
Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis
Alex Morono vs. Mickey Gall
Preliminary card
Maki Pitolo vs. Dusko Todorovic
Bryan Barberena vs. Darian Weeks
Manel Kape vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Jake Matthews vs. Jeremiah Wells
Cheyanne Buys vs. Mallory Martin
Alonzo Menifield vs. William Knight
Claudio Puelles vs. Chris Gruetzemacher
Louis Smolka vs. Vince Morales
