Rafael Estevam‘s UFC debut has been postponed due to weight management issues, canceling his UFC 288 matchup against Zhalgas Zhumagulov.
Rafael Estevam’s highly anticipated UFC debut has been postponed due to weight management issues, delaying his UFC 288 bout with Zhalgas Zhumagulov. The news broke during Friday’s official weigh-ins where it was announced that Estevam had been pulled from the fight. This is the second fight cancellation from Saturday’s pay-per-view event in just two days.
Estevam had earned his UFC contract after a second-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series this past September, marking his 11th straight victory at the start of his pro career. Originally, Estevam was set to face Carlos Candelario in April, but an injury to Candelario led to the 26-year-old’s move to Saturday’s card. Meanwhile, Zhumagulov will have to wait to break his current losing streak which includes two split decisions against Jeff Molina and Charles Johnson, along with a stoppage loss to Manel Kape.
As of now, UFC 288 will proceed with 12 fights, highlighted by the bantamweight championship main event between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo.