UFC 291 loses main card bout: Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira canceled
A highly anticipated welterweight barnburner between Stephen Thompson and Michel Pereira will no longer take place at UFC 291. The promotion confirmed the news after the Brazilian failed to make weight at the official weigh-ins. While the non-title welterweight bout weight limit is 171 pounds, Pereira weighed in at 174 pounds, three pounds overweight. This is the second time he has failed to make weight. Meanwhile, ‘Wonderboy’ successfully came in at 170.5 pounds. While many speculated that the UFC would attempt to go forward with the fight and try to negotiate a deal between both camps, the cancelation was announced just a few minutes before ceremonial weigh-ins. Soon after, Stephen Thompson confirmed that he refused to fight at catchweight, and the bout was ultimately pulled from the fight card. He issued a statement on Instagram explaining why he chose not to fight Michel Pereira. He wrote: “Unfortunately, my fight with Michel Pereira will no longer be going forward. First off, I’m sorry to all the fans who were looking forward to my fight… Fighters who miss weight face far too few consequences and are often allowed to fight with a significant competitive advantage.” Stephen Thompson was coming off a fourth-round TKO win over Kevin Holland last December. Meanwhile, Michel Pereira was looking to extend his five-fight winning streak. UFC reveals Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira replacement bout After it was confirmed that the Stephen Thompson-Michel Pereira bout stood canceled, the promotion hinted at a replacement fight. It seems that the UFC made the decision to replace the scrapped bout with a heavyweight matchup. MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter recently took to Twitter to point out that the official UFC website has been updated to show the Derrick Lewis vs. Rogerio De Lima fight taking place in the scrapped welterweight bout’s spot. The two heavyweights will reportedly fight just before the co-main event instead of the preliminary card. Replying to a fan comment asking which fight would replace the canceled bout, he quote-tweeted: “UFC.com has it as Lewis vs. De Lima.” ‘The Black Beast’ will be looking to stop a dismal three-fight losing slide. Lewis suffered three consecutive finishes against Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich, and Sergey Spivak. Meanwhile, Rogerio De Lima is coming off a two-fight win streak. He last defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC Vegas 72 in April.
REPORT: Paulo Costa pulls out of UFC 291, new opponent lined up for Ikram Aliskerov
UFC middleweight star Paulo Costa has reportedly pulled out of his fight against Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291. According to sources based in Aliskerov’s camp, ‘Borrachinha’ has withdrawn from the matchup less than a fortnight before the event in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to a report by @judobetter995 via @SpinninBackfist on Twitter, Aliskerov will still compete at UFC 291, albeit against a different opponent. It seems Georgian middleweight contender Roman Dolidze has replaced Costa and will be stepping up on a 12-day notice for the high-altitude fight at The Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Iterating that nothing is official as yet, @judobetter995 wrote: “My inside source just told me that Costa vs. Ikram is not going to happen, and UFC is looking to book… Dolidze Vs Aliskerov… Nothing official, but info comes from Ikram’s camp, so I’m sure it’s true.” If the news is indeed accurate, it would be Paulo Costa’s second canceled fight this year. He was scheduled to face Robert Whittaker in February, but the Brazilian disputed the announcement, and the fight never materialized. Costa last beat Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 via unanimous decision. The win stopped a two-fight losing skid against Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori. Paulo Costa hints at accepting a super fight against Khamzat Chimaev after reported UFC 291 pullout Paulo Costa recently sent fans into a frenzy by hinting at a potential matchup against grappling sensation Khamzat Chimaev. MMA-based Twitter handle @MMAPauli recently claimed Paulo Costa pulled out of UFC 291 to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. While the tweet sent MMA fans into a frenzy, the Brazilian added fuel to the confusion with a cryptic message. He wrote a one-word comment under the tweet, stating: “Smart.” Costa and Chimaev aren’t on good terms. The two men were involved in an altercation at the UFC PI last year. In the following months, ‘Borz’ and ‘Borrachinha’ traded insults online and in interviews, fueling speculation of a future fight. While fans are undoubtedly excited about the prospect of witnessing Paulo Costa fight Khamzat Chimaev, the Brazilian is known to be a notorious troll online. It remains to be seen if his comments meant anything real.
