Fighters make weight, UFC cancels bout anyway

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Jared Vanderaa successfully made weight for his UFC Vegas 44 showdown opposite Azamat Murzakanov, but was subsequently yanked from the card after failing his pre-fight medical exam.

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EXCITING MIDDLEWEIGHT MATCHUP! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., April 6, 2024, with an action-packed, five-round main event featuring No. 7-seeded 185-pound contender, Brendan Allen, running it back with No. 14-ranked Chris Curtis. “Action Man” — who is filling in for the “freak” injured Marvin Vettori — scored an upset win over Allen back in 2021 (watch it). In UFC Vegas 90’s ESPN+-streamed co-main event, former Featherweight hopeful, Alexander Hernandez, looks to get back on track at the expense of dangerous Octagon veteran, Damon Jackson.

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That means Murzakanov, who previously watched his Philipe Lins fight go down in flames, will also hit the showers a day early. The UFC Vegas 44 fight card, taking place tomorrow night (Sat., Dec. 4, 2021) at APEX, will proceed with 14 fights.

Vanderaa (12-6) is looking to rebound from his technical knockout loss to Alexander Romanov last October. “The Mountain,” a product of Dana White’s “Contender Series,” is just 1-2 inside the Octagon, getting finished in both losses.

As for Murzakanov (10-0), who also graduated Dana White’s “Contender Series,” he’s likely to drop back down to light heavyweight for his UFC debut in early 2022, unless something crazy happens within the next two weeks and “The Professional” is asked to fill in.

To see the updated UFC Vegas 44 fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ lineup click here.