The planned co-main event for UFC Vegas 106 faced an abrupt cancellation merely minutes before the fighters were scheduled to walk to the octagon.
The anticipated bout between Paul Craig and Rodolfo Bellato was removed from the event`s lineup after Bellato experienced a medical issue that left him unable to compete. This unfortunate development was announced during the live broadcast on Saturday.
Bellato himself later shed light on the reason via Instagram, stating, “I never thought that herpes would take me out of a fight. I’m sorry all of you guys, but it’s something that’s out of our control.”
Despite the last-minute scratch, the promotion is expected to reschedule the fight between Craig and Bellato for a new date in the near future.
This is undoubtedly tough news for both competitors, especially considering Bellato traveled from Brazil and Craig made the trip to Las Vegas from his home in Scotland for the contest.
Bellato, who maintains a 2-0 undefeated record inside the UFC and a professional score of 12-2-1 (including a draw against Jimmy Crute at UFC 312 in February), was aiming for his most significant victory to date against Craig.
Meanwhile, Craig was preparing to return to the light heavyweight division after suffering three consecutive losses at 185 pounds against opponents like Bo Nickal, Caio Borralho, and Brendan Allen.
A new date for the Craig vs. Bellato matchup is anticipated to be announced shortly. In the interim, the lightweight fight between Sodiq Yusuff and Mairon Santos was elevated to the co-main event slot for UFC Vegas 106 following the cancellation.
