An exciting battle that could have potentially determined the first challenger to middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is now off, as Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez has been forced out of UFC Vancouver due to injury.
As a result, Reinier De Ridder will now face Brendan Allen in the main event of UFC Vancouver.
The UFC confirmed the news in a social media post on Monday, September 15.
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Hernandez confirmed the news that evening with a statement on social media.
UFC Vancouver To Now Be Headlined By Reinier De Ridder vs. Brendan Allen
"I want to sincerely apologize to the UFC, to my opponent Reinier De Ridder, and to everyone who was looking forward to this matchup," Hernandez said. "I also want to thank Brendan Allen for stepping up, it means a lot. To my fans, thank you for always tuning in, supporting me, and riding with me through everything. Right now my focus is on getting healthy so I can come back stronger than ever. When I return, I’ll be ready to make a statement."
The fight was, and still is, pivotal for the middleweight title scene. Hernandez vs. De Ridder was previously mentioned alongside Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho as potential title eliminators. The stakes appeared raise after Imavov's lackluster win over Borralho at UFC Paris a couple of weeks ago.
De Ridder, the former two-division ONE champion, is 4-0 in the UFC since arriving to the Octagon last fall. His Octagon record has included finishes of Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and Bo Nickal, as well as a split decision victory over Robert Whittaker.
Allen fought two months ago at UFC 318, scoring a decision over Marvin Vettori.