Urijah Faber pulled from UFC Fight Night card in Brazil
The UFC Fight Night card in Rio de Janeiro on March 21 will have a new main event, but it won't involve former WEC champion Urijah Faber.
After the withdrawal of his original opponent, Raphael Assuncao -- who was still recovering from a broken ankle and would not be ready in time for the March event -- Faber has been pulled from the card entirely and will not be given a new bout on the show.
Sources close to the situation confirmed the move to FOX Sports on Wednesday after an initial report by MMAFighting.com.
Faber vs. Assuncao was slated to pit two of the top bantamweights in the world against each other, with the winner standing directly in line for a title shot later this year. With Assuncao out and options limited for replacements, Faber was yanked from the card and will be rebooked with a different opponent later.
As of now, the new main event for UFC Fight Night in Brazil will be top 10-ranked welterweight Demian Maia taking on undefeated prospect Ryan LaFlare.
UFC officials have yet to confirm the new headline fight or bout order on the upcoming card, but the way things stand right now, Maia vs. LaFlare will move forward as the main event.
