Ian Entwistle vs. Rob Font Canceled at UFC 204: Latest Details and Reaction

The expected encounter between Ian Entwistle and Rob Font at UFC 204 on Saturday has been canceled after Entwistle came down with an illness. 

UFC Europe announced the news Friday on its official Twitter account.

No further information about the 29-year-old bantamweight's health status was immediately released.

Mike Bohn and Dann Stupp of MMAjunkie noted a UFC official would only describe it as an "undisclosed illness" and stated Font would still receive his fight purse despite the cancellation.

The bout was scheduled to take place in Manchester, England, on the preliminary card of Saturday's event, which is headlined by a clash between Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson for the UFC Middleweight Championship. It's unclear whether it will be rescheduled once Entwistle recovers.

It's also unfortunate timing for the Accrington, England, native, who would have received his first opportunity to fight in front of his home fans since joining the UFC in 2014. He's gone 1-2 in three fights across three different continents in that time.

His most recent bout was a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Alejandro Perez in April. He talked with MMAjunkie's Brent Brookhouse and John Morgan before that fight about how much the world of fighting means to him:

"

I have a mental problem. I don't like doing anything else. It's like, what do I do? I don't drink, so it's the only thing I do, the only thing I enjoy doing. I train, and that's where I get my enjoyment. Everyone gets their enjoyment out of other things. To me, it's amazing I get to do something I love so much and I get paid. It's great.

"

Those remarks came after a knee injury that forced him to miss some time. Now, it's back to the waiting game as he works to get back to full strength from the illness.