UFC Vegas 17 loses another main card fight

The year-end UFC Vegas 17 card has lost another fight as Misha Cirkunov is out of his light heavyweight bout against Ryan Spann due to injury.

TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter reported on Friday that Cirkunov suffered an undisclosed injury in training. The Canadian has been forced off the card, where he was scheduled to take on Spann in a battle between two of the top-15 light heavyweights in the UFC. Instead of fighting on December 19, the UFC is now hoping to re-book this battle for February.

https://twitter.com/aaronbronsteter/status/1334969843041361922

Canadian Misha Cirkunov vs. Ryan Spann has been removed from UFC Fight Night on December 19. Cirkunov suffered an undisclosed injury and the UFC is looking to re-book the fight in February.

No Cirkunov vs. Spann is the latest hit to UFC Vegas 17, which is the last card the promotion will hold this year. The main event was originally set to be a five-round bout between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, but along with Cirkunov vs. Spann, that bout is off now after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19. The UFC hasn’t announced yet if Chimaev will stay on the card or if the fight with Edwards will be re-booked. The new five-round main event sees Stephen Thompson take on Geoff Neal in the headliner.

At one point in time, UFC Vegas 17 was looking like one of the most stacked cards the world’s top MMA promotion had put on all year. As it stands now, it still looks like a really good card, but not the truly special event it once was. Aside from Thompson vs. Neal, the co-main event now features Greg Hardy taking on Marcin Tybura at heavyweight. At bantamweight, Marlon Moraes takes on Rob Font and Marlon Vera fights Jose Aldo. Other notable fights on the card feature welterweights Khaos Williams and Michel Pereira, welterweights Anthony Pettis and Alex Morono, and Belal Muhammad vs. Dhiego Lima.