Fight fans got some bad news just weeks before UFC 314 in Miami.
The UFC’s upcoming return to Miami at UFC 314 features a vacant featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, to go along with a host of other high-profile bouts. In the co-main event, Michael Chandler will look to give Paddy Pimblett the toughest test of his UFC career when they square off in a pivotal lightweight matchup.
But the top two fights at UFC 314 round out a star-studded card at the Kaseya Center. Featherweights Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell will square off in a matchup with a lot of heat, stemming from Silva’s callout at UFC Seattle.
Despite the hype and anticipation for the April 12th pay-per-view event, UFC 314 took a big blow this weekend.
UFC 314 takes a big hit as main card bout removed due to injury
As reported on the UFC Mexico City broadcast, the scheduled welterweight fight between Carlos Prates and Geoff Neal is off UFC 314 after Neal withdrew due to an injury. As of this writing, the UFC isn’t planning on finding a short-notice replacement opponent for Prates, and he could be rebooked against a new opponent at a new timeframe.
Prates, one of the biggest rising stars in the UFC welterweight division, is unbeaten in his promotional tenure after recent knockouts of Neil Magny, Li Jingliang, and Charles Radtke. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum is one of the top names at the surging Fighting Nerds gym in Brazil.
Neal looked to build off of his momentum stemming from a TKO win over former UFC titleholder Rafael dos Anjos last October. Before that, he lost back-to-back fights against Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry.
Prates, in particular, is potentially 2-3 wins away from earning a welterweight title shot. His most recent win over Magny catapulted Prates into the welterweight Top 15 for the first time in his young UFC stint.
Ilia Topuria’s title vacation sets up an epic UFC 314 fight card
Despite Prates vs. Neal being canceled, UFC 314 is expected to be a fireworks show in Miami. After UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria’s announced move to lightweight, Volkanovski and Lopes will fight for the vacant 145lb title.
It’s a massive opportunity for Lopes, whose quick ascent up the featherweight ladder includes recent wins over Brian Ortega and Dan Ige. Volkanovski gets an immediate vacant title shot after falling to Topuria by knockout at UFC 298.
Volkanovski was expected to get an immediate rematch against Topuria before the latter’s lightweight move. Topuria is expected to return this summer against a to-be-determined opponent, potentially UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Bloody Elbow will keep you up-to-date with the latest news and notes ahead of UFC 314.