UFC 248 loses a fight on just hours notice

The Octagon returns to Las Vegas this evening for UFC 248, a pay-per-view event headlined by Yoel Romero challenging Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title.

The fight card was originally slated to feature a total of twelve contests. However, news recently broke that one of those slated bouts has been cancelled after a fighter was taken to ER.

Polyana Viana was expected to square off with Emily Whitmire in a strawweight fight at tonight’s event. Unfortunately, Emily missed weight but 2.5lbs on Friday and the bout was thus made a catchweight contest.

However, earlier today Whitmire was taken to the hospital by her team and now her fight with Viana has been cancelled entirely.

Polyana Viana announced the news that she would no longer be competing at tonight’s UFC 248 event moments ago on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Polyana_VianaDF/status/1236364698523594753

“I just heard tha Emily is out of the fight with me today. I also heard she had to be taken to the ER. I hope she is alright and I wish from the bottom of my heart that she recovers from whatever it is that she is suffering from.”

Viara and Whitmire were expected to serve as the featured bout of the UFC 248 early prelims on ESPN+.

A featherweight bout between Giga Chikadze and Jamall Emmers will not likely take that position at tonight’s event.

UFC 248 features a pair of title fights. In the co-main event, reigning UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang will attempt to secure her first career title defense against former division title holder Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

In addition, tonight’s pay-per-view is headlined by a highly anticipated middleweight title fight between Yoel Romero and undefeated division kingpin Israel Adesanya.

Who are you picking to win tonight’s UFC 248 fights? Share your picks in the comments section of this post PENN Nation!

March 7, 2020