A massive undercard bout at UFC Atlanta was scratched just days before Saturday’s event.
UFC Atlanta is headlined by a pivotal welterweight matchup between top contenders Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley, taking place this Saturday at State Farm Arena. The fight marks Usman’s long-awaited return to the welterweight division, and his first Octagon appearance overall in almost two full years.
The card also marks the UFC’s long-awaited return to Atlanta after a six-year absence, dating back to UFC 236. The event featured a UFC Hall of Fame fight between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum.
UFC Atlanta could make more MMA memories this weekend. But just days before the event, the card took a big hit.
UFC Atlanta takes a big hit as matchup between exciting bantamweights canceled
As first reported by MMA publication L’Arena MMA, bantamweight Charles Jourdain was forced to withdraw from his upcoming fight with Ricky Simon due to an eye injury. As of this writing, it’s uncertain if the UFC matchmakers will attempt to find a last-second replacement to face Simon at UFC Atlanta.
Jourdain’s withdrawal comes at an unfortunate time, after a successful bantamweight debut in November at UFC Edmonton. He defeated Victor Henry by second-round submission after making the full-time move to the 135 lb division.
Jourdain traded wins and losses in the UFC’s featherweight division, earning victories over the likes of Kron Gracie and Andre Ewell. A win over a top bantamweight like Simon would’ve moved Jourdain closer to a Top 15 spot.
Simon was set to return to the Octagon for the first time since a devastating knockout over Javid Basharat at UFC Seattle in February. The knockout win snapped a three-fight losing streak.
- READ MORE: UFC Atlanta star granted father’s dying wish with a nasty submission to win The Ultimate Fighter
Charles Jourdain vs. Ricky Simon scratched due to a Jourdain eye injury
Despite the loss of Jourdain vs. Simon, UFC Atlanta remains an intriguing card with an important main event booking between Usman and Buckley. The UFC Atlanta main event winner could potentially earn a title shot for their next fight against either Jack Della Maddalena or Islam Makhachev.
Maddalena earned the UFC welterweight title by defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 last month. Makhachev will vacate the lightweight title later this month for a move to welterweight.
Buckley has been on a roll since moving down to 170 lbs, earning recent wins over the likes of Colby Covington, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque. He enters UFC Atlanta on a six-fight winning streak.