UFC Paris loses main card fight due to family tragedy

UFC Paris now has a vacancy on the main card as a participant had to withdraw due to a tragedy in their family. The fighter in question is Fares Ziam, who will no longer be competing in the coming days in the wake of his grandmother’s passing away. Kaue Fernandes does not have an opponent for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card at the Accor Arena in France, with no indication at this juncture that the promotion is pursuing a replacement opponent.

The French fighter finds himself in a bereaved situation while also missing out on the chance to fight in front of a raucous, partisan crowd during one of the most important cards for European MMA this calendar year.

Ziam has been riding a five-fight winning streak and will not get the opportunity to extend it to six this weekend, and announced as such to fans on his personal social media. Via translations of an Instagram post that utilized French and Arabic, Ziam said [via Bloody Elbow],

“Following the sudden death of my grandmother, her funeral arrangements in France and abroad, I regret to cancel my participation in UFC Paris on September 6. Family is my priority.”

“We belong to Allah and it is to Him that we will return. Thank you mum.”

UFC Paris and the loss of Ziam vs. Fernandes

Fernandes has back-to-back wins in the UFC after a polarizing split decision loss to Marc Diakiese in his debut effort inside the octagon. The momentum that both men brought to this since-scrapped bout, and many touting it as a darkhorse contender for fight of the night, whereby the victor would have been seen as being in close proximity to a lightweight rankings opportunity.

UFC Paris is headlined by a consequential contest at middleweight as surging 185-pounders Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov will do battle.