The upcoming UFC 309 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden is a ranked matchup down following another fight cancellation.
Among one of few fights originally set to play out toward the top of a division on Nov. 16, #6-ranked light heavyweight Nikita Krylov was booked to defend his spot opposite undefeated, rising contender Azamat Murzakanov.
The pair marked perhaps the most high-stakes clash tasked with setting the stage for the likes of Jon Jones, Charles Oliveira, and Bo Nickal on the UFC 309 preliminary card.
That is no more, however, after it was revealed by MMA Junkie's Nolan King that Murzakanov has withdrawn from the New York City-held PPV just over one week out.
The news marks the latest blow to the UFC 309 lineup, coming just hours after Lucas Almeida was confirmed out of his clash with David Onama.
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This marks the latest setback in Murzakanov's planned surge into the top 10. After getting the better of Dustin Jacoby last year, the Russian subsequently had fights with Volkan Oezdemir and Khalil Rountree fall through. While he had hoped to start a period of activity following a knockout win over Alonzo Menifield this past August in Abu Dhabi, he now looks set to turn his focus toward a 2025 return after another enforced layoff.
Krylov, meanwhile, has lost his chance to make a long-awaited return to the Octagon. The longtime contender has been absent for 20 months, having not made the walk since submitting Ryan Spann in March 2023. That left him riding high on a three-fight winning run, but he's now under threat of sitting out the entirety of this calendar year unless an unlikely short-notice matchup gets put together.
With this cancellation, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 309 on Dec. 7 are as follows:
Main Card:
Preliminary Card:
Early Preliminary Card:
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