Former featherweight champion Max Holloway has been forced out of his upcoming main event against Yair Rodriguez at UFC On ESPN 26 next month after suffering an ‘undisclosed injury.’
As things stand the word is that rather than have Rodriguez fight someone else, the UFC are opting to just postpone the current match-up until a later date.
Rodriguez will surely be hoping it isn’t too far in the future as the 28-year-old has already been on the sidelines for 18 months since a unanimous decision victory over Jeremy Stephens back in October of 2019.
Rodriguez had been expected to return to action in the summer of last year against Zabit Magomedsharipov, but he pulled out due to an ankle injury and then later was hit with a six month suspension by USADA after failing to provide his whereabouts and being unavailable for drug testing.
As for Holloway, he shook off the disappointment of back-to-back defeats against Alexander volkanovski by producing a striking masterclass against Calvin Kattar in January.
With Holloway vs. Rodriguez off the UFC On ESPN 26 card, it remains to be seen what the promotion will put together in it’s place as the headliner, but it could be that former women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate’s comeback from retirement against Marion Reneau after a four-year layoff takes that spot.
