Jamall Emmers Pulls Out of UFC Fight Night vs. Chas Skelly with Back Injury

The UFC Fight Night 185 featherweight bout between Chas Skelly and Jamall Emmers was canceled Saturday after Emmers suffered back spasms backstage and was unable to walk out to the Octagon.

Skelly had made his walk to the Octagon and awaited Emmers, but he did not arrive. Octagon announcer Joe Martinez then announced that the fight would not occur because of "medical reasons backstage." Officially, Emmers withdrew from the fight.

Per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Emmers did not need to be hospitalized.

"I feel like I should get my win bonus," Skelly said in a broadcasted interview. "I weighed in, I made weight. I stepped in the cage. That's how I feel. I hope Jamall is OK. No animosity. It sucks."

ESPN's Ariel Helwani provided commentary on the moment.

"We've had fighters pull out minutes before a fight but never quite like this," Helwani tweeted. "Don't recall the the opponent already being in the cage. Feel for both. Can't imagine how bad Emmers must be feeling to not make that walk."

Two other UFC Fight Night fights were canceled for different reasons. 

Rafael Alves weighted in at 11½ pounds over the featherweight non-title limit, and his fight with Pat Sabatini was called off.

In addition, a lightweight fight between Luis Pena and Drakkar Klose was postponed because one of Klose's corner men tested positive for COVID-19.