UFC veteran Joanne Wood has withdrawn from her fight against Priscilla Cachoiera at UFC 291, citing reasons beyond her control, and is set to be replaced by Miranda Maverick.
Joanne Wood, a veteran of Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC), made a disappointing announcement on Thursday that she will no longer participate in the fight against Priscilla Cachoiera at UFC 291. Wood clarified through an Instagram post that the decision was beyond her control. Prior to her withdrawal, she was ready for what could potentially have been her last fight. A number of unnamed sources confirmed this news of Joanne’s withdrawal.
Verbal agreements are said to have been arranged to have Miranda Maverick step in as Wood’s successor at the pay-per-view event, scheduled for the 29th of July at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center. Wood expressed her disappointment on social media stating, “Gutted to find out that I won’t be fighting July 29th. It is what it is and I’m going to try not to dwell on this as it was out of my control. I invested and did everything I could and was ready for what was maybe going to be my last fight.”
Wood last appeared in the Octagon at UFC 286, where she triumphed in a split decision against Luana Carolina. The win put her back on track after a challenging period of three consecutive losses. Meanwhile, her opponent, Cachoiera is currently enjoying a two-fight winning streak after her most recent victory over Ariane Lipski at UFC San Diego. Taking Joanne’s place, Maverick endured a loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius at UFC 289, bringing an end to her two-fight winning streak.
The much-anticipated UFC 291 event will be headlined by a “BMF” title fight between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. This battle marks the pair’s second matchup following a previous “Fight of the Year” contender.