Max Holloway Out for UFC 226 Fight vs. Brian Ortega with Concussion Symptoms
July 5, 2018
UFC will have to find a new co-main event for Saturday's UFC 226 show after Max Holloway was forced to withdraw from his featherweight title defense against Brian Ortega.
In a statement to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Hollway's team said the UFC featherweight champion had concussion-like symptoms:
Helwani added Ortega was just made aware of Holloway's injury, and it's unclear if he will have a replacement fight on the card.
Holloway was scheduled to be making his second title defense against Ortega, who is 14-0 with one no-contest in his mixed martial arts career.
Since losing back-to-back fights against Dennis Bermudez and Conor McGregor in 2013, Holloway has been on the hottest run of his career. The 26-year-old is riding a 12-fight winning streak that includes consecutive victories over Jose Aldo in 2017.
Holloway won the interim UFC featherweight title at UFC 206 by defeating Anthony Pettis before unifying the championship with a win over Aldo at UFC 212.
UFC 226 will be headlined by Stipe Miocic defending the heavyweight championship against Daniel Cormier.