UFC Abu Dhabi was forced to make a late change to its lineup just before the event began. The scheduled bout between Islam Dulatov and Wellington Turman was called off only hours before the Fight Night card was set to get underway.
The cancellation was attributed to illness, removing one of the planned main card contests from the show. With that matchup no longer taking place, the event moved forward with 12 fights instead of the originally expected total.
Late withdrawals are always disruptive for a UFC card, especially when they affect the main portion of the event. In this case, fans in Abu Dhabi and viewers following the card saw the schedule trimmed at the last minute after Dulatov vs. Turman was scrapped.
Despite the setback, UFC Abu Dhabi still proceeded with the rest of Saturday's Fight Night lineup. The final card went ahead without the Dulatov-Turman matchup, leaving the event one fight shorter than planned.
