The TUF Brazil 3 Finale event on May 31st is now without a headliner after former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos pulled out injured.
Dos Santos was scheduled to fight Stipe Miocic in the main event of the show in Sao Paulo, but he fractured his hand in training.
“I’m really sad,” dos Santos said in a statement as the news broke. “I apologize to my fans, to the UFC and to my opponent, Stipe Miocic, and hope to have another opportunity to fight in Brazil once my hand is healed.”
The UFC are now hunting for either a replacement for dos Santos to fight Miocic, or a new main event altogether with less than four weeks to go until the event.
This isn’t the first time this event has had to change up it’s main event as originally it was supposed to be the landing spot for an eagerly anticipated fight between season coaches Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen before that was moved to UFC 175 in July.
Looking down the rest of the fight card the only other fighter that could potentially hold down the main card spot is Demian Maia, but given that he’s coming off two losses and is fighting a newcomer in Alexander Yakovlev that would be unlikely to appeal to the fans who’ve paid good money to attend the event.
May 31st marks the first time ever that the UFC have attempted to put on two events in one day, with the TUF Brazil 3 Finale following on from UFC Fight Night 41 in Germany headlined by Gegard Mousasi Vs Mark Munoz.
