UFC Vegas 90: Why was Alatengheili vs. Victor Hugo canceled?

UFC Vegas 90 is scheduled for this weekend, but a fight has been removed from the card just days before the event.

According to several anonymous sources familiar with the situation who were contacted by MMA Junkie, Alatengheili has been forced to withdraw from the contest due to an illness.

MMA Mania was the first to report that a replacement fighter has been chosen since the Alatengheili vs. Victor Hugo fight will no longer be taking place.

In the revised bantamweight matchup, Pedro Falcao is set to take on Hugo, who will be making his official UFC debut after securing a spot on the Contender Series. Despite his nickname being ‘Striker’, Hugo claimed victory in his October fight with Eduardo Matias Torres Caut by executing a kneebar submission. This win extended Hugo’s impressive winning streak in MMA to thirteen consecutive victories.

Regarding Falcao, he is a former Contender Series participant, with his fight taking place in October 2021. Following that, ‘Pedrinho’ had a draw in a boxing match and a rear naked choke victory in November against Leonardo Morales at Tuff-N-Uff 134. The Brazilian powerhouse has an impressive record of five consecutive wins in mixed martial arts as he prepares to make his UFC debut this Saturday.

Take a look at the news update on UFC Vegas 90 below:

Previewing the Main Card Fights at UFC Vegas 90

Despite the previously mentioned competition falling through, many battles have remained firmly scheduled for the highly anticipated event at the UFC Apex.

The highlight of this ESPN+ broadcasted event will be the highly anticipated rematch between Chris Curtis and Brendan Allen. In their first fight in December 2021, Curtis emerged victorious over Allen, who is now seeking to even the score in their middleweight series in the upcoming days.

The co-main event will showcase Alexander Hernandez and Damon Jackson as they put their featherweight abilities to the test.

In the upcoming feature fight, Morgan Charriere will face off against Chepe Mariscal in a 145-pound match. The UFC Vegas 90 main card will also feature a lightweight battle between Ignacio Bahamondes and Christos Giagos. Additionally, the potential heavyweight slugfest between Valter Walker and Lukasz Brzeski, as well as the 155-pound showdown between Trevor Peek and Charlie Campbell, will round out the main card.