UFC CEO Dana White is no stranger to making tough roster decisions, and several fighters have already felt the axe this year — including André Muniz, Justin Tafa, Irina Alekseeva, and Brogan Walker. Now, another name might be added to that list, as UFC 321 has hit a last-minute snag with one fight being scrapped from the card, leaving fans with just 13 bouts.

With less than 48 hours to go before fight night at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi—headlined by Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane—the lightweight clash between Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady and Matheus Camilo has been canceled. Al-Selwady was forced to withdraw from the event, and Camilo won’t be getting a replacement opponent for the bout.

Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady issues first statement

Earlier today, journalist Marcel Dorff took to X to break the news to his followers. “Got told the fight between Abdul-Kareem Al Selwady and Matheus Camilo is OFF for #UFC321 this Saturday in Abu Dhabi. No further info atm,” he wrote. Shortly after the report surfaced, the ‘Pride of Palestine’ confirmed his withdrawal via an Instagram statement.

“It’s written and I will not question it,” Al-Selwady wrote. “All I know is I was fully prepared, best camp of my career, on weight and ready to go, it couldn’t have gone any better, and Allah didn’t have it planned for me.” He further added, “Inshallah, it will all be cleared soon, do not ask me because I myself don’t know.”

Notably, the Fortis MMA fighter was aiming to rebound from his UFC debut loss to Loik Radzhabov in March 2024. Camilo, too, was hoping to earn his first UFC win after dropping his debut to Gabe Green in May. Despite Al-Selwady’s explanation, though, fans were quick to voice their frustration over the last-minute cancellation.

Dana White asked to take action 

After learning about the scrapped fight, fans were naturally frustrated about the outcome. One user went as far as to urge Dana White to cut the 30-year-old from their roster. “Cut Bumwady, never fights and always pulling out,” the user wrote furiously. Notably, four of Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady’s fights have been canceled since his debut bout in the UFC. 

The next user didn’t seem too bothered by the 30-year-old’s exclusion. “Oh no, the worst fight on the card got canned,” the user wrote sarcastically. The two fighters coming off losses didn’t seem to excite fans to begin with. 

Another user expressed similar feelings about the fight. “Good. Nobody gave a f,” the user commented. Such reactions don’t bode well for the Fortis MMA team member. 

Someone else was expecting Al-Selwady to pull out of the fight. “Ofc it is, I was getting a little bit worried, but good old Selwady didn’t disappoint,” the user remarked. It would be interesting to see whether the 30-year-old gets another opportunity to redeem himself. 

Meanwhile, this user felt bad for Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady. “This would be the 4th straight fight Selwady is involved in that got canceled, brutal stuff for him,” the user wrote. Only time will tell what the real reason was behind the fight’s cancellation. 

Having said that, Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady appears to be in deep trouble, with fans asking for his exclusion from the promotion. But do you agree with them? Or is it just bad luck? What do you think about the rest of the UFC 321 card?