The UFC 319 card is stacked with must-watch fights! The main event sees Dricus du Plessis putting his middleweight championship on the line in a high-stakes clash against Khamzat Chimaev! A matchup destined to grab the spotlight. And with MMA’s most promising prospect, Aaron Pico, making his debut against a prime 145 lbs contender, Lerone Murphy, in the co-main event. Making the lineup even better. Still, the lightweight showdown between King Green and Diego Ferreira in the featured prelims had fans buzzing just as much. But unfortunately, that fell off badly. 

As fight night approached, fans were eager to watch the lightweight veteran step back inside the Octagon. But then, bad news struck like lightning! Green was out of the competition against Ferreira, scrapping one of the most anticipated bangers on the card. Many fans wondered what caused this electric matchup to fall apart. Well, we’re about to break it all down. So, let’s dive in. 

King Green withdraws from UFC 319 bout against Diego Ferreira due to injury 

Diego Ferreira was amped up ahead of his clash with King Green at UFC 319. For the 40-year-old Brazilian, it was the perfect opportunity to get back in the win column after his loss to Grant Dawson at UFC 311. Speaking to the B.J. Penn website, Ferreira revealed he had been waiting three years for this fight and couldn’t wait to step back into the Octagon against a seasoned veteran.

However, the buzz took a sudden hit when reports surfaced that Green had withdrawn from the event. At first, the reason behind Green’s pullout remained under wraps. But it didn’t take long for the 155 lbs veteran to break the news himself on Instagram, an untimely injury had crushed his chances of competing at the Chicago event.

“I worked so hard to get here, so hard,” Green wrote. “I went through a lot of bullshit to get here. Back in the day, I’ve had pullouts, but somewhere along the line, I said I would never pull out of a fight again. If I have to f—king limp my ass there, I’ll limp myself into the cage, but I won’t pull out.” 

Green admitted that this injury was even tougher to deal with, as it made walking nearly impossible. He was heartbroken about not being able to perform for his audience and devastated at the thought of letting down his fans and loved ones in the process.

“This one is a little different. I can’t even f—king walk, guys,” Green said. “If I had a broken hand, I wouldn’t say anything, I’d just fight. I’m sorry to anyone that I let down. I let myself down even more; it just sucks. I have people who look up to and need me. I got the crutches here, it is what it is… I’m really sorry.

It was the perfect opportunity for King Green to return on one of the year’s most anticipated fight cards and get back in the win column. Unfortunately for the veteran, his last two outings ended in brutal defeats—first to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 304, then to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 313. In that latter bout, the Brazilian “Fighting Nerd” sealed Green’s fate with a vicious spinning wheel kick.

For a moment, it felt like this fight couldn’t be replaced by just another matchup between two lesser-known fighters. But Dana White refused to let one of the year’s most anticipated cards lose its spark. So he made a move that no one saw coming, offering a golden opportunity to a rising star fresh off a statement win on Dana White’s Contender Series to fight on UFC 319.  

Khamzat Chimaev’s teammate saves Dana White’s Chicago card on 3 days’ notice 

Baysangur Susurkaev has stormed into the UFC in style. His insane first-round front-kick-to-the-body knockout of Murtaza Talha on DWCS instantly caught fans’ attention. The Russian sensation even turned Dana White into a fan. Sure, the UFC boss couldn’t quite nail the pronunciation of his name, but at the post-fight contract announcement, he was full of praise for Susurkaev.

“I haven’t been this excited about a guy in a very long time. I have very high hopes for you. Welcome to the UFC and thank you for saving episode one of the Contender Series,” White said.

The MMA world didn’t have to wait long to see what Susurkaev would do next. The undefeated 9-0 prospect quickly landed a spot on the stacked UFC 319 card, stepping in to face Eric Nolan. A longtime teammate of middleweight title challenger Khamzat Chimaev, Susurkaev’s DWCS performance gave the UFC brass enough confidence to put him on one of the year’s biggest cards. He even showed a brash side of his personality during the UFC 319 pre-fight presser, adding more fuel to the hype.

Susurkaev’s addition to UFC 319 coincides with growing rumors of the UFC’s potential billion-dollar broadcast deal with Paramount, reported by Reuters this week. Industry insiders suggest the company is eager to showcase international prospects like Susurkaev on big cards to appeal to global audiences — meaning this late replacement may have been as much a business decision as a matchmaking one.

That being said, what’s your take on King Green’s unfortunate withdrawal from the Chicago card? And how do you feel about the newly booked middleweight bout? Drop your thoughts below.