Light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson is in need of a new opponent for next month’s UFC 227 pay-per-view card.
UFC 227 has lost one if its three biggest fights.
UFC light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir is out of his pivotal bout against Alexander Gustafsson, which was booked for the pay-per-view main card, due to a broken nose. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported the news Thursday morning. UFC officials have yet to confirm the cancellation.
The UFC is currently seeking a replacement for “No Time.” Helwani later reported that knockout artist Khalil Rountree has interest in the Gustafsson fight, and that the UFC is aware of his desire to face the Swede, but that no decision has been made as of now. Rountree is coming off a first-round upset stoppage of former GLORY Kickboxing standout Gokhan Saki earlier this month at UFC 226.
Oezdemir stepped up on short notice against the former two-time title challenger in Gustafsson. The UFC tried to book Gustafsson against Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, and Ovince Saint Preux, but none of those matchups came to fruition. As a result, Oezdemir was pulled from his UFC Hamburg main event slot against former 205-pound champ Mauricio Rua (which would have occurred this Sunday) to face “The Mauler.”
Oezdemir is coming off a second-round defeat to light heavyweight champ — and now also heavyweight titleholder — Daniel Cormier this past January. He started his UFC career in 2017 with three straight wins, including two quick knockouts. Gustafsson hasn’t competed since a May 2017 win over Glover Teixeira.
UFC 227 takes place at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4. In the main event, bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw meets rival Cody Garbrandt in a rematch. In the co-headliner, flyweight king Demetrious Johnson looks to extend his title-defense record against Henry Cejudo, also in a rematch.
