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Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira suffered a minor injury that forced him out of UFC 288 next month.
News of Oliveira's withdrawal was first reported by ESPN Deportes.
Oliveira was supposed to face Beneil Dariush in a pivotal lightweight co-main event. The winner could've gotten the next title shot against Islam Makhachev.
As of now, the UFC is reportedly planning to schedule the bout for a new date later this year. The promotion could potentially schedule it for either UFC 289 or UFC 290, depending on the severity of Oliveira's injury.
It's a frustrating setback for Oliveira, who had seemed highly motivated for his clash with Dariush.
With the Oliveira fight, Dariush, who has long demanded a shot at the lightweight belt, will probably remain unaltered. He has a winning streak of eight matches, most recently over Mateusz Gamrot in October.
Dariush entered the lightweight title race by defeating opponents like Tony Ferguson, Drakkar Klose, and Drew Dober.
At UFC 280, Oliveira was defeated by Makhachev for the vacant lightweight championship. Following a disastrous weight cut before his UFC 274 match against Justin Gaethje, he was stripped of the lightweight championship.