Islam
Makhachev will not compete at
UFC 254.
The Dagestani lightweight was supposed to face Rafael dos
Anjos in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24, but dos Anjos withdrew from the
bout after
testing positive for COVID-19. UFC president Dana White
revealed to Yahoo
Sports on Wednesday that a replacement opponent was not found
for Makhachev, and a subsequent release from the promotion
regarding the event did not include the Eagles MMA representative.
As a result, UFC 254 will move forward with a five-bout main
card.
Makhachev is currently on a six-bout winning streak in UFC
competition. He went 2-0 in 2019, posting decision triumphs against
Davi
Ramos and Arman
Tsarukyan. A training partner of lightweight champ Khabib
Nurmagomedov, the 29-year-old is 18-1 since beginning his
professional career in 2010.
UFC 254 takes place at the Flash Forum and is headlined by a
155-pound title unification bout between Nurmagomedov and interim
champ Justin
Gaethje. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ beginning
at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.