UFC
273 has undergone a couple changes with less than two weeks
remaining before the pay-per-view event.
A welterweight showdown between Kelvin
Gastelum against Nassourdine
Imavov has been canceled due to visa issues for Imavov.
Gastelum will not be given a replacement opponent. It is unclear if
the matchup will be rescheduled, but Gastelum posted on Twitter
that “we’re trying to figure out other options.”
Unfortunately my opponent was unable to
obtain a visa.
Hopefully that gets worked out ASAP.
We’re trying to figure out other options.
So stay tuned…..#UFC273— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum)
March 28, 2022
Meanwhile, a heavyweight tilt pitting Ilir Latifi
against Alexey
Oleynik has been added to the UFC 273 bill. Latifi vs. Oleynik
was originally slated for UFC on ESPN 33 before Latifi pulled out
hours before the card due to illness.
The Las Vegas-based promotion
announced the updates on Monday. UFC 273 takes place at Vystar
Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.., on April 9 and is
headlined by a featherweight championship clash between Alexander
Volkanovski and Chan Sung
Jung. In the co-main event, Aljamain
Sterling will square off against Petr Yan in a
bantamweight title unification bout.
Gastelum has lost five of his last six Octagon appearances,
including a unanimous decision defeat to Jared
Cannonier in his last outing at UFC on ESPN 29. Imavov is 3-1
in the promotion and is coming off back-to-back triumphs over
Ian
Heinisch and Edmen
Shahbazyan.
Latifi halted a three-bout skid in his last outing, as he garnered
a split decision over Tanner
Boser at UFC Fight Night 189. Oleynik, meanwhile, has lost
three straight, including a decision defeat to Sergey
Spivak in his most recent appearance at UFC on ESPN 25.