UFC Vegas 70 was slated to include a potential light-heavyweight brawl between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann. The card, however, lost its star midway through when Krylov cancelled.
After making every effort to get ‘The Miner’ fight-ready, it was revealed that UFC doctors had declared him ineligible to compete. A last-minute alteration elevated the initial co-headliner between Brendan Allen and Andre Muniz to the main event.
Dana White has recently provided additional information regarding the nature of Krylov’s illness. The UFC president claims to have learned of “The Miner” having “stomach difficulties” in the middle of the card.
Nikita Krylov was determined to fight, according to White, which is why the UFC doctor tried to get him in fighting shape. The UFC president added that a poor weight loss may have contributed to the stomach problems. White stated at the news conference after the fight:
“You know, we learned that he was experiencing gastrointestinal issues about midway through the performance. He wanted to fight badly, so the doctor worked with him to try and resolve some issues before the battle, but things didn’t work out, so the doctor had to remove him. These things do, you know. They are unsure of his health issues. He was struck by some sort of stomach bug, though it might have been related to his weight loss efforts.”
Canceled UFC main event between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann might be rebooked in two weeks
Nikita Krylov currently has a two-fight winning run, which includes a TKO victory over former champion Alexander Gustafsson in the opening round. Ryan Spann, meantime, is coming off back-to-back victories by first-round stoppage and is almost ready to be considered a contender.
Krylov and Spann’s training camps, according to Dana White, won’t be in vain because they might return to competition in a week. White wants to rebook the bout as quickly as possible, but he doesn’t want the boxers to suffer through another weight reduction the following week. At the UFC Vegas 70 post-fight press conference, the UFC president stated:
“Do we do it in two weeks? is the topic we’re currently discussing with these individuals. You don’t want to have them start dieting again the following week. You thus allow them a few weeks. God is aware of his condition, so let him get better and go from there.”
White has pledged to find another opponent for Spann, who was devastated by the cancellation, if Nikita Krylov isn’t ready soon. The man, 53, said:
“100%. We’ll take care of him and figure it out. What we do is that.”
