Taylor Lapilus’ UFC comeback bout has hit a speed bump.
MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck confirmed with sources with knowledge of the change that Muin Gafurov has been forced to withdraw from his bantamweight bout opposite Lapilus that was scheduled to take place this Saturday at UFC Paris. Gafurov’s withdrawal is due to visa issues.
The news was first reported by La Sueur.
The UFC is seeking a new opponent for Lapilus to keep him on the card.
Lapilus (18-3) is set to compete for the promotion for the first time since September 2016. The 31-year-old Frenchman left with a 3-1 UFC record and won his most recent fight for the promotion, a unanimous decision nod over Leandro Issa. He has since competed in France, Canada, Russia, and Germany, where he has gone 7-1 in his past eight fights.
Gafurov, a former LFA bantamweight champion and ONE Championship standout, was looking to score his first UFC victory after dropping a unanimous decision to John Castaneda this past June.
UFC Paris takes place this Saturday at Accor Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivac.
