It looks like the UFC and Dana White just can’t catch a break. After the chaos of UFC Vegas 107, which saw six fights scrapped, including its main event, fans hoped UFC Vegas 108 would bring some stability. But once again, fight week has been hit with wave after wave of withdrawals.

The Apex card, originally headlined by a pivotal flyweight showdown between Amir Albazi and Tatsuro Taira, now looks completely different. And with four fights officially canceled, fans are left wondering, will there even be a card left to watch this weekend?

Let’s start with the headliner. Albazi vs. Taira was shaping up to be a title eliminator at 125 pounds. But just a week before the fight, Albazi pulled out due to injury. In stepped Park Hyun-sung, winner of Road to UFC Season 2, to salvage the slot. Park had originally been scheduled to fight Steve Erceg next weekend, but was moved up to keep the event alive.

But that wasn’t the only shake-up. A flyweight bout between Felipe Bunes and André Lima also collapsed when Lima withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Rafael Estevam was called up as a replacement, ensuring that Bunes would still compete. For now, that matchup remains intact.

Then came the middleweight mess. Torrez Finney was set to face Azamat Bekoev, but dropped out unexpectedly. The UFC and Dana White found a replacement in former kickboxer and promotional newcomer Yousri Belgaroui. Unfortunately, visa issues knocked Belgaroui off the card, forcing the UFC to postpone the bout entirely to UFC Fight Night 262.

Lastly, a featherweight throwdown between Austin Bashi and Francis Marshall quietly vanished from the lineup. Reports confirmed Marshall was forced out due to injury, and the UFC opted not to find a replacement on short notice. If you’re keeping count, that’s four canceled bouts, two officially off the card, and two dramatically reworked. And the drama didn’t stop there.

MMA insider @RealKevinK posted on X, “Per Sources: Tallison Teixeira Was Offered The Main Event vs Waldo Cortes Acosta for #UFCVegas108 August 2nd But Declined The Fight since He Has Not Trained Since His UFC Nashville Fight July 12th”

After all, the fight game is unpredictable, that’s part of its charm. But even for a company built on short-notice grit, UFC Vegas 108 is a test. If anything, it highlights just how fragile a card can be when injuries, travel, and timing collide. So where does that leave the UFC? For now, Park Hyun-sung vs. Tatsuro Taira is expected to headline, though it lacks the same title implications the original fight carried.

New UFC Vegas 108 main event leaves Tatsuro Taira’s flyweight-title ambitions in a rough spot

With Amir Albazi out, the UFC’s flyweight landscape just got a shake-up. Originally, Amir Albazi vs. Tatsuro Taira was more than just a main event; it was a title eliminator in disguise. But now? The future of the 125-pound division isn’t so clear.

Taira and Albazi were the highest-ranked flyweights, outside of Joshua Van, who hadn’t yet challenged for gold. Ranked No. 6 and No. 4, respectively, both men were seen as potentially next-in-line if Van falls short against reigning champ Alexandre Pantoja in their potential clash in the latter half of the year. But with the original fight scrapped and Albazi sidelined, there’s no clear roadmap anymore.

The Japanese star, just 25, enters the cage with a 16-1 record. He’s looking to bounce back from a razor-close split-decision loss to Brandon Royval in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors in October 2024. That loss snapped his perfect record, but a dominant win this weekend could reinsert him into the title mix.

Park, meanwhile, is still unbeaten at 10-0. All three of his UFC wins have come at the Apex, and all three have ended in finishes. But here’s the catch: while Park is undeniably talented, he isn’t ranked.

So while UFC Vegas 108 is still moving forward, it’s doing so on shaky legs. The original title implications for the main event may be gone, but the stakes are still high, especially for Tatsuro Taira, who needs a statement win to stay in the title conversation. As for Park Hyun-sung, this is his chance to crash the rankings and prove he belongs among the elite!