Ahead of Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 after a five-year hiatus from the sport, the card has suffered its first casualty. Only 18 days before the spectacle hits T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the event has now lost one of its anticipated scheduled bouts after an exciting UFC fighter had to withdraw from his fight.

According to reports, Ode Osbourne has pulled out of his scheduled flyweight bout against Cody Durden in the prelims of UFC 329. Taking to social media, the Jamaican-American fighter addressed the withdrawal and apologized to fans for the disappointing news.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete on July 11th,” Osbourne wrote on X. “It sucks because my team and I have put in so much hard work for over eight weeks, but I’m going to rest up and come back for the next one. Thank you, guys, for rocking with me.”

While Osbourne did not reveal the exact reason behind the withdrawal, outlets like MMA Junkie have reported that the flyweight was forced to pull out due to an undisclosed injury. That’s somewhat surprising considering the 34-year-old has not dealt with many injury-related setbacks throughout his 13-fight UFC career. However, the cancellation does mark the fifth fight cancellation he has had to deal with in his UFC tenure.

Alongside the Durden fight, Osbourne previously withdrew from a matchup against Jerome Rivera in 2021 because of undisclosed reasons. However, the two met again just a month later at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov, where the Jamaican-American scored a 26-second knockout victory. Other than that, several of his canceled fights came as a result of his opponents withdrawing against him.

Still, the fight against Durden was an important one for Osbourne, considering his last outing at UFC Houston in February ended in a decision loss, which was then overturned to a no-contest after his opponent, Alibi Idiris, tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide following their fight.

With his latest bout off the UFC 329 card, the promotion is searching for a replacement opponent, and Cody Durden has already issued an open challenge.

“My opponent Ode Osbourne has officially went running, and pulled out of our fight for July 11th at UFC 329,” Durden wrote on X. “Who wants to fight me in 19 days?”

Now, as the UFC searches for a replacement to keep Durden on the card, another exciting matchup has recently been added to UFC 329, pushing Jon Jones’ mentee further down the card.

UFC 329 adds explosive lightweight clash, pushing Jon Jones’ protégé to the prelims 

One of the most intriguing storylines surrounding UFC 329 is the promotional debut of former NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. Lately, the Indiana native has been on a tear, securing three finishes outside the UFC while training under the guidance of UFC great Jon Jones. Initially, the promotion positioned Steveson on the main card against Elisha Ellison for his highly anticipated UFC debut. However, the promotion shifted Steveson’s fight to the prelims after they announced King Green vs. Terrance McKinney for the event.

“We have a new bout order for #UFC329. King Green vs. Terrance McKinney now opens up the main card!” MMA journalist Adam Martin posted on X. “Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison moved to the prelims.”

Though Gable Steveson competing on the main card would have generated plenty of attention, given his status as an accomplished combat sports athlete, King Green and Terrance McKinney are far more likely to deliver pure chaos inside the Octagon.

McKinney, who has never gone to a decision in his professional MMA career, is coming off a highlight-reel knockout victory over Kyle Nelson in his last outing. On the other hand, Green has found a surprising second wind at 39 years old, putting together three consecutive wins. For that reason, the lightweight clash between them has all the ingredients to produce fireworks on July 11.

Even though Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 card has suffered an early setback, the majority of the lineup remains intact. More importantly, none of the marquee main card attractions have been affected, so both the UFC and the fans can breathe a sigh of relief for now.