Report | Yair Rodriguez out of UFC 228 fight with Zabit Magomedsharipov

Bad news, fight fans. The injury bug has taken a big bite out of UFC 228. According to a report from MMA Brasil, all-action featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez has sustained an injury which has forced him out of his main card showdown with surging Russian contender Zabit Magomedsharipov.

According to this report, the UFC is seeking a replacement opponent for Zabit Magomedsharipov.

For Yair Rodriguez, this is the latest speed bump on what has been a fairly arduous road. The Mexican featherweight has not fought since May of 2017, when he was walloped by former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Since then, he’s battled injuries, and was even briefly released from his UFC contract by UFC President Dana White.

Zabit Magomedsharipov, meanwhile, loses out on what would have been the biggest fight of his career thus far. While there is certainly time for the UFC to find a solid replacement opponent for the streaking featherweight finisher, it’s unlikely they’ll find a new matchup with as much pop and value as the Yair Rodriguez fight.

Hopefully, this is the last shake-up the UFC 228 card is forced to endure.

The card goes down September 8 in Dallas, Texas. It will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Tyron Woodley and challenger Darren Till, and co-headlined by a flyweight title fight between champion Nicco Montano and challenger Valentina Shevchenko.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/23/2018.