Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell bumped up to UFC 296 pay-per-view main card

15/12/2023 00:12

With Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque cancelled, the featherweight fight between Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell has been bumped up to the UFC 296 main card.

The switch comes after Machado Garry was forced off the card after contracting pneumonia upon arriving in Las Vegas for fight week. UFC CEO Dana White announced on Wednesday that Machado Garry had the flu but his symptoms eventually worsened and he was diagnosed with pneumonia, which prevented him from competing.

With Machado Garry out, Luque attempted to find a last-second replacement in fellow UFC welterweight Kevin Holland, but the fight didn't come together with only two days before the event takes place.

As for the new fight on the main card, Emmett is also getting a late-replacement opponent, with Mitchell having accepted the matchup after Giga Chikadze suffered a torn groin muscle that forced him out of UFC 296.

Emmett looks to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses to Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria, while Mitchell is coming off a decision win over Dan Ige.

The women's bantamweight bout between Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa will now serve as the featured prelim leading into the pay-per-view broadcast, with the UFC 296 main card starting at 10 p.m ET/ 7 p.m. PT.