The featherweight fight between Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell has been moved to the UFC 296 main card after Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque was cancelled due to Garry contracting pneumonia.
Well, here’s a bit of a shake-up. The fight between Ian Machado Garry and Vicente Luque is off. So, the featherweight bout featuring Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell? It’s been promoted to the UFC 296 main card.
Why the change? Machado Garry fell sick. He arrived in Las Vegas for fight week and ended up with pneumonia. Dana White, the UFC CEO, broke the news on Wednesday. Initially, it seemed like Machado Garry had the flu. But, things took a turn for the worse.
With Machado Garry out, Luque tried to get a last-minute replacement. He eyed Kevin Holland, a fellow UFC welterweight. But, with only two days left before the event, the fight didn’t materialize.
Now, about the new main card fight. Emmett’s also dealing with a late-replacement opponent. Mitchell stepped up to the plate after Giga Chikadze had to bow out of UFC 296. Chikadze’s got a torn groin muscle, poor guy.
Emmett? He’s looking to bounce back from consecutive losses to Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria. Mitchell, on the other hand, is riding high after a decision win over Dan Ige.
And, there’s more. The women’s bantamweight bout between Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa? It’s now the featured prelim leading into the pay-per-view broadcast. UFC 296 main card is set to kick off at 10 p.m ET/ 7 p.m. PT. So, get your popcorn ready!