Withdrawals seem to be the theme for the final UFC Fight Night for August. Earlier the company had to scrap the proposed main event featuring Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez following the latter’s injury. Now, yet another featherweight bout is off, following Ryan Hall pulling out of the event.
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‘The Wizard’ was set to fight Ricardo Lamas, but it isn’t yet known as to why he withdrew. The withdrawal keeps in line with Hall’s sporadic appearances in the company ever since he burst onto the scene at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale in 2016.
Previously he featured at the 2015 edition of the show and beat Artem Lobov, but remained inactive for a year.
Following the 2016 match, ‘The Wizard’ sat out for two years before returning at UFC 232 to take on B. J. Penn. The former UFC champion was on a five-fight losing streak, and it took just 166 seconds for Hall to hand him a sixth defeat in succession. Seven months later, he finished Darren Elkins via unanimous decision.
Despite his inactivity, he remains a ranked contender. However, it may be under threat now as two fights in four years do not bode well for fighters.
Ricardo Lamas wants UFC fight despite Ryan Hall withdrawal
Meanwhile, despite Hall’s withdrawal, Ricardo Lamas wants to fight. He is open to a short notice bout against anyone willing to step up and sign the contract. This could be because he has prepared for a match and doesn’t want his layoff to enter the fifteenth month.
‘The Bully’ went down to the dominant Calvin Kattar last June. He is far away from the form which saw him rise to fight Jose Aldo for the title in 2013 and would like to be active as he winds down his career.
The event is headlined by light heavyweight Anthony Smith, who will look to bounce back from the sound thrashing he received at the hands of Glover Teixeira. It is unknown whether Lamas will feature on the card.
The UFC is yet to cancel the fight, but the search for Lamas’ opponent could be problematic as the event is just over a week away.
