UFC 219 matchup gets canceled due to an emergency surgery procedure

A pivotal matchup set for UFC 219 has been scrapped from the end of the year card taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 30.

The exciting matchup between current number 4 UFC ranked bantamweight Jimmie Rivera and number 6 ranked John Lineker has been canceled due to Lineker being forced to pull out of the bout. According to MMA Fighting, multiple sources have confirmed that Lineker was removed from the bout due to a tooth infection and will have to undergo emergency surgery.

The UFC is looking for an opponent for Rivera so he can stay on the card.

This marks the second time an opponent was forced to pull out of a UFC 219 bout with Rivera as former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was originally scheduled to take on “El Terror.” Cruz pulled out of the bout in early November after suffering a broken arm. News that Lineker was officially replacing Cruz came later in November and once again Rivera is left without an opponent less than a week away from the event.

Jimmie Rivera holds a 21-1 professional MMA record and is riding a 20-fight winning streak with most recently getting his hand raised over Thomas Almeida and Urijah Faber.

UFC 219’s scheduled fights include the following:

MAIN CARD | Pay-per-view | 10PM/7PM ETPT
Champ Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm – For women’s featherweight title
Edson Barboza vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Jimmie Rivera vs. TBA
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Carla Esparza
Carlos Condit vs. Neil Magny

FS1 PRELIMS | FS1 | 8PM/5PM ETPT
Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Khalil Rountree
Marc Diakiese vs. Dan Hooker
Rick Glenn vs. Myles Jury
Matheus Nicolau vs. Louis Smolka

UFC FIGHT PASS EARLY PRELIMS | UFC Fight Pass | 7PM/4PM ETPT
Mark Delarosa vs. Tim Elliott
Omari Akhmedov vs. Marvin Vettori

Who would you ideally like to see Jimmie Rivera take on the Octagon next? Let’s put your matchmaking skills to work and throw some names down in the comment section!

on 12/24/2017.