American UFC fighter Bryan Battle has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled contest against Uzbekistan’s Nursulton Ruziboev after failing to meet the middleweight limit, Championat reports. The fight was due to take place on August 17 at UFC 319 in Chicago.
Battle’s withdrawal followed controversial remarks about Uzbek fans. In a recent interview, the American ridiculed their English language skills. He added with irony that he would become «the people’s champion of Uzbekistan» after the bout. He even took it to his Instagram page and posted a picture of him sleeping with his daughter:
At the official weigh-in, Battle came in five pounds over the permitted limit for the division. By contrast, Ruziboev exceeded the limit by only one pound, which falls within the allowance for non-title fights.
The setback means the highly anticipated match will no longer go ahead, with organisers yet to confirm a replacement or revised fight card.
