Damonte Robinson’s day went from bad to worse.
Hours after the late-replacement failed to make weight for Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 27 event, an unrelated medical issue subsequently forced him off the card.
With less than 24 hours until the start of the event, the bout with Kenneth Cross was removed from the event, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams live on ESPN+.
MMA reporter James Lynch first reported the decision, labeling it “an eye issue.” MMA Junkie subsequently confirmed with a person with knowledge of the move that Robinson was ruled out of the bout due to a medical concern. That person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Robinson (6-1-1) stepped into the fight with Cross (10-3) on just a few days’ notice after Kevin Syler was pulled from the card for a positive COVID-19 test. Monday morning, Robinson came up just short on the scale at 156.5 pounds despite shaving his hair in between his first and second trips to the scale.
With the late scratch, the Dana White’s Contender Series 27 lineup now includes:
Ty Flores vs. Dustin Jacoby Mikey Gonzalez vs. Uros Medic Luis Rodriguez vs. Jerome Rivera Luke Flores vs. Jordan Leavitt