With two title fights at the top and a stacked undercard, fans look at UFC 327 as the best card of this year announced so far. Looking at the overall matchups, some fans even consider the promotion’s fifth visit to Miami better than its ambitious White House event. However, with the spectacle all set to take place on April 11, UFC 327 has taken another bad hit after facing its fourth cancellation.

To open the marquee card at Kaseya Center next month, the promotion had scheduled a lightweight showdown between Nazim Sadykhov and MarQuel Mederos. But just days before the spectacle, ‘The Black Wolf’ had to pull out of the fight because of an injury.

“Guys I’m off UFC 327,” Sadykhov posted on X. “Got an injury which I’m trying to take care of and return as quick as possible. Thanks to all, see you soon 🤲🏻💪🏻🐺,” he added.

The Azerbaijani fighter didn’t disclose the nature of the injury, which makes it difficult to predict when he might return. However, the UFC quickly found a replacement for the bout, as Chris Padilla will now face Mederos in the opening bout of UFC 327.  That said, this isn’t the first time Sadykhov and Mederos have seen their fight fall apart. The two were previously scheduled to meet in 2024, but the Colorado native pulled out of that matchup the first time around.

With this latest change, the stacked card has now suffered its fourth major cancellation, as there had already been three canceled fights before. Among them was a planned lightweight clash between Beneil Dariush and Manuel Torres, which collapsed after the Mexican fighter sustained an injury. Because of that, the UFC pushed ‘Benny’ into a new matchup against Quillan Salkilld at UFC Fight Night: Perth in May.

Soon after, another reshuffle hit when Kyle Daukaus shifted to face Bo Nickal at the UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14th, leaving his originally scheduled opponent, Vicente Luque, without an opponent. Later, however, fellow veteran Kelvin Gastelum stepped in to keep the matchup alive on the prelims.

Furthermore, the UFC also moved a flyweight bout between Andre Lima and Dong Hun Choi off the card and rescheduled it for UFC Fight Night: Winnipeg. So, in total, four fights connected to UFC 327 have now been affected. Even so, the event still falls one cancellation short of matching the disruption seen at UFC 326, where the promotion ultimately had to remove five fights from the lineup.

Despite the shakeups, the biggest bouts on the UFC 327 card remain intact. And as most of the stability is maintained, it should keep expectations high, with several matchups still capable of delivering serious fireworks inside the Octagon.

3 sleeper fights that fans shouldn’t miss at UFC 327

It won’t be a stretch to say that even with the cancellations, the UFC’s visit to Miami this year remains the most stacked card of the year. Alongside the headliners, the entire lineup packs action-heavy showdowns from top to bottom, and fans should stay thoroughly entertained. However, three sleeper fights could easily keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

The first features a veteran showdown between Vicente Luque and Kelvin Gastelum in the middleweight division, a matchup that promises to deliver a barnburner. The seasoned fighters have a combined 66 professional fights and have endured several grueling battles against top UFC contenders. Because of that experience and fighting style, both veterans will likely stand their ground and turn the bout into a classic phone booth scrap for the crowd.

Next, the UFC 327 prelims bring an emotional moment as Hall of Famer Cub Swanson prepares to lay down his gloves in Miami. The veteran 145er faces the always entertaining Nate Landwehr in what could become the final fight of his career.  As we know, both featherweights prefer to stand and trade, so fans may witness one last memorable scrap from Swanson before he walks away from the sport.

Lastly, Kevin Holland returns on the stacked UFC 327 card to face Randy Brown in a 170-pound clash. Their striking styles and willingness to engage could easily ignite another firefight that electrifies the crowd at the Kaseya Center.

That said, do you think all of these cancellations have lowered the entertainment part of the UFC 327 card, or is it still the best card of the year, as everyone claims it to be? Let us know in the comments section below.