Rising Kiwi UFC fighter Brad Riddell has had his UFC Vegas 22 bout against Gregor Gillespie called off due to COVID-19 protocols just hours before he was set to take to the cage.
The co-main event fight had all the making off a a mouth-watering matchup that seemed destined for 'Fight of the Night' honours but that will have to wait as the UFC scramble to reschedule the bout.
UFC officials didn’t announce any further details about the cancellation, but said the plan is to rebook the bout for the coming weeks but didn't immediately announce how long the clash would be delayed for.
Riddell has been training alongside Alexander Volkanovski, who has also been forced to withdraw from his featherweight title fight against Brian Ortega at UFC 260 next weekend, suggesting the COVID-19 link is related to the Australian's camp.
The remainder of the card will move forward with the welterweight bout between Song Kenan and Max Griffin being elevated to a co-main event alongside the battle between middleweights Derek Brunson and Kevin Holland.
Riddell is 3-0 since joining the UFC and is on a six-fight winning streak overall. He defeated Alex da Silva Coelho by unanimous decision at UFC 253 in September for his most recent win.
The City Kickboxing lightweight was looking for a signature win to add to his growing resume after going undefeated in his first three fights with the UFC.
