The upcoming UFC Seattle card has taken another hit with Edson Barboza being knocked out of his fight against Steve Garcia on Feb. 22.
Multiple sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting with Barboza being forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.
The UFC’s return to Seattle has been marred by cancellations lately, which includes losing former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who announced his retirement from competition, leaving scheduled opponent Rob Font without a dance partner.
Meanwhile, the heavyweight fight between Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev, which was also slated as a main card bout, is expected to move to the UFC 313 pay-per-view on March 8.
There’s no word yet if Garcia will remain on the UFC Seattle card against a new opponent or not. It’s disappointing news for Garcia, who was seeking a chance to potentially earn a spot in the top 15 of the featherweight rankings after rattling off five straight wins in the division with all of his victories ending by first- or second-round knockout.
The UFC Seattle main event features the return of former two-division champion Henry Cejudo as he takes on Song Yadong in an intriguing bantamweight matchup.
As of now, the UFC hasn’t revealed final plans for the UFC Seattle card or the bout order for the event.
