MMA's 10 Most Significant Fights That Were Derailed by Extenuating Circumstances

This Saturday, fans may purchase UFC 130 knowing they aren't going to see one of the biggest rubber matches that was originally scheduled for the main event between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.

It isn't the only event to have a significant fight canceled with no replacement, and there have been many fights where trying to find replacement fighters leads to the fight being removed completely or changed drastically.

This slideshow will focus not only significant fights that have had last-minute cancellations but also the fighters' careers and what having to pull out of a fight does for them and their opponents.

No. 10: Alessio Sakara vs. Jorge Rivera, UFC 122

While the preliminary bouts were taking place for UFC 122, middleweight fighter Alessio Sakara was forced to pull out of his co-main event with Jorge Rivera.

The fighter was experiencing flu-like symptoms and was seen vomiting backstage. The fight was scrapped completely from the card and replaced by an undercard bout.

Luckily for fans, this fight was a Spike TV card and not a PPV. Losing a co-main event on short notice could have a drastic effect on PPV buy rates, especially when the card isn't that stacked to begin with.

The match has been rescheduled for UFC 133. Both fighters are now coming off losses, while their original fight would have featured both on three-fight winning streaks.

No. 9: Karo Parisyan vs. Dustin Hazelett, UFC 106

When Karo Parisyan pulled out of his bout with Dustin Hazelett a day before the UFC 106 weigh-ins, it wasn't the first time he had pulled off a last-minute cancellation. He had done it before at UFC 88 when he pulled out of his bout with Yoshiyuki Yoshida due to a back injury he suffered before the weigh-ins.

Fans found out immediately what Dana White thought of the situation at UFC 106.

White stated on his Twitter that Parisyan would "not be fighting Saturday or ever again in the UFC!!" He also attributed the pull-out to a "laundry list of excuses."

It took a year and a half before Parisyan got a third chance to make amends with the UFC, but he suffered a loss to Dennis Hallman and was released from the promotion.

No. 8: Tito Ortiz vs. Guy Mezger 2, UFC 50

During the week of his scheduled rematch with Tito Ortiz, Lion's Den fighter Guy Mezger was forced to pull out of his main-event spot after experiencing stroke-like symptoms.

There haven't been many cases of a main event having to be canceled or changed the week of the event, and this is one where the UFC had no choice but to find a replacement.

This is where Georges St. Pierre's teammate Patrick Cote comes into play. He accepted to take Mezger's place, jumping all the way from the preliminaries to the main event.

He didn't win the fight, but he did make a career out of jumping on this one opportunity and fought in the world's biggest promotion for six more years.

No. 7: Pedro Rizzo vs. Kevin Randleman, UFC 24

Kevin Randleman was supposed to defend his UFC heavyweight championship against No. 1 contender Pedro Rizzo at UFC 24 when "The Monster" slipped while warming up backstage and cracked his head on the cement floor, knocking himself out completely.

Randleman had to be revived and taken to a hospital, and the main event had to be canceled during the middle of the show.

Fans and pay-per-view buyers were not notified of the cancellation till the end of the event.

The two fought later at UFC 26. Randleman won a unanimous decision in a very lackluster bout.

No. 6: Junior dos Santos vs. Brock Lesnar, UFC 131

The UFC has since found a replacement for Brock Lesnar after he pulled out of the main event with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131, but it is still a huge blow to a card that featured one of the biggest draws in the sport.

Lesnar and Dos Santos were both featured on The Ultimate Fighter as opposite coaches to hype up their fight. Three weeks before their scheduled fight, Lesnar pulled out after he was diagnosed with diverticulitis for the second time in two years.

It isn't the first time Lesnar had to pull out due to the digestive disease that causes inflammation in the intestines. He had to do it against Shane Carwin before their UFC 106 bout, although he didn't know he had suffered from the disease till he had to pull out of their scheduled rematch for UFC 108. He didn't return till July 2010, when they fought at UFC 116.

Lesnar has been replaced by Carwin to face Dos Santos.

No. 5: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3, UFC 115

Tito Ortiz had every intention of being the man to send former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell into retirement.

Even though Ortiz pulled out of the fight because of a neck injury during the taping of The Ultimate Fighter, he still succeeded in being responsible for Liddell's retirement to an extent.

Ortiz was replaced by former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin. Franklin won the fight after he knocked Liddell out in the very first round.

Because of the subsequent knockouts suffered in recent fights, Liddell opted to never fight again and retired from the sport.

No. 4: Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch 2, UFC 107/111/115

The rematch between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves was originally scheduled for UFC 107, but Alves pulled out after suffering a posterior cruciate ligament tear.

The two were ranked in the top three of the welterweight division, and it was a much-anticipated bout for fans who were hoping to get a sense of who was more worthy of a title-shot rematch with champion Georges St. Pierre.

It was rescheduled for UFC 111, but a day before the event, Alves's pre-fight CAT scan found a brain irregularity, and he was replaced by Ben Saunders to fight Fitch on the main card.

After it was canceled once more at UFC 115, the two finally fought at UFC 117. Fitch won a unanimous decision.

No. 3: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 3, UFC 130

Even though the rubber match between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard was canceled three weeks before the scheduled event, it was the odd occurrence that both fighters got injured, removing their appearances from the card completely.

Edgar suffered from broken ribs while training, and Maynard injured his knee.

When Edgar was forced to pull out first, a proposed matchup between WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis and Maynard was a possible replacement fight. The injury Maynard suffered also forced him out of the main event, leaving the UFC only one choice.

They replaced the main event with the co-main event between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Matt Hamill.

No. 2: Josh Barnett vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Affliction 3

Ten days before Affliction: Trilogy, an event featuring some of the best heavyweight fighters in the world, Josh Barnett failed the drug test, testing positive for anabolic steroids.

This wasn't the first time Barnett had tested positive. It was the reason he was stripped of his UFC heavyweight championship after defeating Randy Couture at UFC 36.

A replacement was quickly sought, but there were none to be found. Possible replacement fighters included Vitor Belfort and Jeff Monson, but the Affliction staff deemed it too big of a change to go on with the show.

The event was canceled, and not soon after Affliction Entertainment was also done for.

No. 1: Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice, EliteXC

This fight may not have been significant in terms of rankings, but the circumstances of the cancellation were. The outcome of the fight was responsible for an organization's downfall and a fighter's career, making the fight very significant.

Everyone was excited to see Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice battle it out in EliteXC, but shortly before the event started, Shamrock suffered an eye injury while hitting the pads backstage.

In a dire need of a replacement for the CBS show, former UFC fighter Seth Petruzelli jumped in to take on the undefeated street fighter.

Fourteen seconds into Round 1, Slice had been knocked out, and he took the entire promotion with him.

EliteXC went out of business after its next card and never put on another show, and it can all be attributed to Shamrock's injury and Kimbo's loss.