UFC 230 has lost a bout just before the promotion’s third event at Madison Square Garden was scheduled to begin.
The UFC announced Saturday that Brian Kelleher has withdrawn from his proposed bantamweight clash against Montel Jackson due to illness. Kelleher missed weight by one pound on Friday, but his illness is believed to be due to food poisoning and unrelated to his weight cut, according to multiple reports.
UFC 230 will move forward with 12 bouts. Kelleher vs. Jackson had been part of the UFC Fight Pass portion of the preliminary card.
Kelleher last appeared at UFC 224 on May 12, when he had a two-fight winning streak snapped in a third-round knockout loss to John Lineker. Jackson, a product of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, was coming off a decision loss against Ricky Simon in his Octagon debut at UFC 227.