Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has been struck by injury once again and will no longer compete in his scheduled bout with Myles Jury at UFC on FOX 16 on July 25. Striking specialist Edson Barboza has been tapped as his replacement.
The news was announced Thursday on “FOX Sports Live.”
Jury (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), ranked No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, now meets No. 11-ranked Barboza (15-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) on the FOX-televised main card of UFC on FOX 16, which takes place at Chicago’s United Center and follows prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
According to the report, Pettis (18-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) suffered an elbow injury and is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday. “Showtime” was scheduled to make his first appearance in the octagon since he lost the his 155-pound title to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185 in March.
The world’s No. 3 ranked 155-pound fighter has struggled to maintain a consistent schedule since he joined the UFC roster as champion of the now-defunct WEC organization in June 2011. Pettis has fought just seven times in nearly four years since his octagon debut.
The Jury vs. Barboza matchup features two lightweights eager to rebound from high-profile defeats. “Fury” was overwhelmed by Donald Cerrone en route to a unanimous-decision loss at UFC 182 in January. Barboza, meanwhile, was upset by Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night 61 in February.
The latest UFC on FOX 16 card includes:
- Champ T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao – for bantamweight title
- Edson Barboza vs. Myles Jury
- Jessica Eye vs. Miesha Tate
- Erik Koch vs. Ramsey Nijem
- Danny Castillo vs. Rustam Khabilov
- Takanori Gomi vs. Joe Lauzon
- Zak Cummings vs. Antonio Braga Neto
- Daron Cruickshank vs. James Krause
- Tom Lawlor vs. Gian Villante
Anthony Pettis Injured And Out of UFC on FOX 16
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