Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin has withdrawn from what was scheduled to be his third UFC appearance.
Scheduled to fight in nine days, Daniel Rodriguez is now opponent-less.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov has withdrawn from their July 17 fight, which was previously expected to take place at UFC on ESPN 26 in Las Vegas. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement.
Rodriguez (14-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was first to announce the change in an Instagram story posted Wednesday. MMA Junkie later confirmed the news with a person close to the situation who asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Nurmagomedov (13-2-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has shown glimpses of brilliance in his UFC tenure to date but has struggled to stay active. Since his UFC signing in 2018, Nurmagomedov has only competed twice. However, this is the first fight he’s withdrawn from in his promotional tenure.
The updated lineup for UFC on ESPN 26 now includes:
