Ante Delija won’t be entering the PFL cage in April.
The 2022 Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion was forced out of a clash with UFC veteran Yorgan de Castro on April 7. De Castro now faces Denis Goltsov.
PFL 2 take places at the The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, with 2022 lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco battling Julia Budd in the main event.
MMA Fighting confirmed with sources that Delija suffered an injury that forced him out of the first round, but the current titleholder is still expected to compete later this season.
De Castro (9-3) has won three in a row since leaving the UFC in 2021. The 35-year-old defeated former UFC champion Junior dos Santos in his most recent appearance at Eagle FC after “Cigano” suffered a shoulder injury.
Goltsov (29-7) was originally set to face Michał Andryszak on the same card. The former ACB champion went 7-2 thus far under the PFL banner, a run that includes a decision loss to Delija.
Damon Martin contributed to this report.
